Army is surrounded by journalist’s murder
The press conference comes at a time when various allegations are being made in the country regarding the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya. Indirect allegations are also being leveled against the armed forces. Sharif was shot dead at a police post in Kenya on Sunday night, leaving the country in turmoil. Kenyan police later said it was a case of mistaken identity during a similar car search in a child abduction case. He said that as the head of this agency (ISI), I cannot remain silent when he is targeted for no reason.
ISI chief said – I will bring the truth to the fore
Lt Gen Anjum said that as and when required, I will bring those facts to the fore. The officials, including the Quetta Corps commander killed in a helicopter crash in Balochistan’s Lasbela area, were mocked, he said. He said there was a lot of pressure in the march but the organization and army chief General Bajwa decided to limit the army to its constitutional role.
Imran Khan a target without naming
Without naming former prime minister Khan, the ISI chief said General Bajwa was given a lucrative offer for an indefinite extension in his tenure in March. It was made in front of me. He (General Bajwa) rejected it because he wanted the institution to move from a controversial role to a constitutional role. Bajwa got an extension of three years and is due to retire next month.
Nadeem Anjum said – Why did the army chief meet the traitors secretly?
He said last year, the establishment decided that it would confine itself to its constitutional role. There was intense discussion in the army and we came to the conclusion that the benefit of the country lies in keeping us confined to our constitutional role and staying out of politics. The ISI chief said the army chief was called a traitor and his family was also targeted. “If you see him as a traitor, why do you meet him through the back door?” he asked.
Arshad Sharif was killed in Kenya in contact with the army
In a veiled attack on former prime minister Khan, he said that you meet him quietly at night and express your unconstitutional wishes but call (the army chief) a traitor in broad daylight. It is a great contradiction between your words and your actions. He confirmed that Sharif, the slain journalist, was in touch with the military establishment even when he was out of the country, but Pakistan is not convinced about the story that was created about his assassination. He said that perhaps we and the government are not completely sure. So the government has formed a team which will go to Kenya.
Arshad was close to Imran Khan
Sharif was a journalist and anchor of ARY TV and was known for his closeness to former Prime Minister Khan. He fled to Kenya earlier this year after Pakistan’s security agencies booked him on charges of sedition and making “anti-national” statements. At the beginning of the press conference, military spokesman Major General Babar Iftikhar said that the purpose of the media interaction is to throw light on the circumstances surrounding the killing of the journalist. He said that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has been apprised of the sensitivity of today’s press conference. .
