All the conspiracies against the institution are meant to create an internal instability that could damage the national security

By Shahid Shah

It is no surprise that much speculations continue to be spread around alleged role of military establishment in politics and this has remained popular topic of the discussion over the media.

Nevertheless, claims about political meddling by the military leadership are absolutely baseless and pack of lies. Pakistan Army under the leadership of COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa has tried its utmost to facilitate & strengthen political/ democratic dispensation in Pakistan so that the country could prosper as a democratic country.

However, certain elements maliciously run false narrative of military supporting opposing political camps. This is done by alleging party to achieve their own vested political interests. Anti-state hostile elements especially India exploits such simmering propaganda and disinformation in furthering a malicious narrative to construct a divide between the armed forces and people of Pakistan.

In the recent political turmoil in which the government of former PM Imran Khan has been ousted, a well-orchestrated vile toxic propaganda campaign targeting the leadership of Pakistan Army has been launched with the prime focus of creating wedge within the army rank and file and between army and the nation.

It can be corroborated through the facts that military leadership during last 4 years tenure of the ousted government provided overarching support while remaining within the constitutional ambit in all domains to ensure political stability and economic prosperity.

Immediately after the PTI government assumed office, they had to face an uphill task in the form of economic crisis. To fully support the government in handling dire financial situation, military leadership visited Saudi Arabia and Qatar due to which both these countries handed down a landmark $6 Billion bail-out package to support Pakistan’s economy.

Also, worth mentioning here is the Post-Pulwama military standoff during which Pakistan Army worked hand in glove with the IK’s government that eventually culminated in launching of Operation Swift Retort.

A diplomatic strain resulted when the former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi gave derogatory remarks against the Saudi government. Riyadh in response asked Pakistan for an immediate pay-back of $1 Billion from their bail-out package. Even at that time Military leadership supported the government by visiting KSA to calm the situation.

Bajwa doctrine has been extremely effective to counter internal and external threats. It successfully brought durable peace to the country by improving rule of law, empowering democracy, securing borders, and eliminating terrorism.

Operation Radd ul Fasaad was launched in, under which 60,000 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) have been conducted, 890 threat alerts issued, 70,000 mines recovered, 70% incidents averted, and 248 troops martyred in year 2021.

Another major contribution of the Armed Forces under the vigilant command of General Bajwa was the Pak-Afghan border fencing. 2600 km has already been fenced along the border that marks 94% completion of the project.

Efficient border management systems were launched with the use of upgraded technology & surveillance. 20 illegal border crossings were closed and construction of hundreds of border forts was carried out. Above and beyond, a secure environment for the flagship project of CPEC was ensured by strengthening ties with China. Defense collaborations were initiated for regional security.

Managing FATF, handling Covid-19 crisis, opening Kartarpur Corridor, and resolving Reko Diq issue were some other endeavors of military leadership to support the former government.

In order to find answers behind the present political crisis, it is better that political leaders carry out introspection of their policies, instead of indulging in blame game. It is only in this way; true improvement can be brought. Dragging Army into politics for political point scoring is akin to maligning the name of institution and that the country must be avoided.

The only role Army continues to play is to make the nation strong so as to overcome any future challenges with national resilience and pride. All the conspiracies against the institution are meant to create an internal instability that could damage the national security.

• Opinions expressed in this article are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of The South Asia Times 
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