Rawalpindi (Web Desk): Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Armed Forces, clarified in an interview with the British broadcaster BBC that the military has no interest in negotiating or engaging in behind-the-scenes contacts with politicians and emphasized that the army should be kept away from politics.
The DG ISPR denied allegations of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, stating that the military does not allow such actions and that an independent commission is investigating the missing persons cases. He said the people of Balochistan stand with Pakistan and are severely affected by the operations of terrorist Baloch separatist groups.
He further stated that the army works under the directives of elected political governments and has played a prominent role in national programs like the coronavirus response and polio campaigns. Rejecting attempts to involve the military in political instability, he said it is the politicians’ own weakness to blame the army for their problems.
Regarding freedom of expression, he noted that Pakistan also has rules and regulations that protect national security and religious sentiments, contrasting this with recent strict social media restrictions imposed in India.
On Afghanistan, the DG ISPR said Pakistan has urged the Afghan Taliban government to stop supporting terrorists.