Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Major General Asif Ghafoor said on Thursday that there was no pressure from any side for Indian spy Kulbhshan Jadhav’s meeting with his family.
“Had there been any pressure, we would have agreed to the consular access,” he told a news briefing here at ISPR office.
He said Kulbhshan was an established agent, who was working on Indian orders to create instability in Pakistan. “He was given chance to meet his family purely on humanitarian grounds. This should have been appreciated. But India will never do that,” he added.
About Indian allegations of Kulbhshan’s family being harassed, he said the Foreign Office had informed India that that the spy’s family would have to go through a security check.
Major General Asif Ghafoor said that India did not want Pakistan to succeed in the war against terrorism and that was why, it had increased ceasefire violations across the Line of Control (LoC) in 2017.
He said 52 civilians were martyred, while 254 suffered injuries in the 1,813 violations, committed by India. He said that there was no truth in Indian claims that on December 25 their soldiers had entered Pakistan and killed some Pakistani soldiers.
“This is false propaganda, being done by India, to divert focus from the effective struggle of Kashmiris for their freedom” from Indian subjugation, he added.
“While our political, diplomatic and moral support continues and will continue for just the struggle of our Kashmir brothers, you cannot lure us into unprofessional undertakings to reinforce your beaten narrative of our physical interference in Occupied Kashmir,” he said.
Referring to United States’ repetitive demands for Pakistan to ‘do more’, he said now was high time for Afghanistan and the US to do more for Pakistan.
“There is no organised infrastructure of any banned organisation in Pakistan. We have fought an imposed and imported war twice in Pakistan and now we cannot do any more for anyone. This is turnfor Afghanistan and the US to do more, rather than Pakistan,” he said.
“Whatever we are doing and we will do is only for the people of Pakistan. We do not fight for money. The aid we received was
reimbursement for the support, we provided to the coalition for its fight against Al Qaeda. Had we not supported the US and
Afghanistan, they would never have been able to defeat Al Qaeda,” he added.
He categorically stated that there were no terrorist facilitators in Pakistan adding that during the last few years the country destroyed terrorist sanctuaries. He said that if there was some terrorist activity in Pakistan, it could be addressed if 2.7million Afghan are sent back.
He said Pakistan had taken measure for the elimination of terrorist elements from the region stating, “We have started the
construction of forts and posts on the Afghan border for effective border management. No country is more interested in Afghan peace than us,” he said adding the US needed to check India’s role in the Afghan region.
He said no amount of coercion could work, adding that only trust-based cooperation could help bring enduring peace
in the region. “What kind of friends we are …. when we are being given notices” he questioned.
He said Pakistan Army was willing to work with its friends but it could not compromise on its respect and dignity.
To a question, Major General Asif Ghafoor said that the US needed tocheck anti-Pakistan role not only from inside Afghanistan but also along the line of control and working boundary.
“Pakistan cannot compromise on its honour. When it comes to the security of Pakistan we all are one. We will do whatever is the best and will do it together as a nation. We do not want any type of confrontation. But state-level statements are one thing and implementation is another,” he added.
He said Pakistan was contributing in a major way to assist peace inAfghanistan. “To control cross-border movement, we have started to fence 2,611-kilometre border despite economic constraints. We are constructing border forts and posts,” he added.
Sharing the details of success to dismantle terrorist networks, he said country’s intelligence agencies had been able to avert 483 attacks in 2017 alone. “People do not know about the attacks averted because these are never really discussed,” he added.
He said that around 96 per cent of temporarily displaced persons had returned to their native areas in the tribal areas.
The DG ISPR asked media to play its vital role in the “fifth-generation”war. “We have established state’s writ across the country. The law and order situation has improved a lot. Media should play the role against fifth generation war,” he said.
To a question regarding the role of Pakistan Army in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, he said the military had formulated a specific section to ensure security of the project.
To a question with regard to military relations with Afghanistan, he saidthere had been improvement following the Army Chief’s visit.
Regarding the recent statement of former President General (R) Pervez Musharraf about Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, DG ISPR said he was the spokesperson for the current army chief.
Regarding the socio-economic developments in KPK and FATA, he saidschemes of around 800 km roads were planned by the army for FATA and KP and out of these, 730 km had been completed.
Replying to another query regarding the internal political situation ofthe country, he said the army had no response to events in the political domain.
He said that year 2018 would be an important year as during it Pakistan would have to move towards enduring peace. “The year 2018 will be a game-changer”, he said.
The DG ISPR also shared a special message from Chief of ArmyStaff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, which states, “As there is an established conglomeration of anti-Pakistan forces (state/non-state) attempting to destabilise and weaken Pakistan, we must continue to present a united front to defeat their nefarious designs.”
To a question regarding Federal Minister for Railways, Khawaja Saad Rafique’s remarks about junior army officials’ apparent
lack of commitment to the Army chief’s directions, the DG ISPR said that the statement could not be unintended.
“This is extremely irresponsible and unwarranted statement as it targets the chain of command. Pakistan Army is a disciplined
institution and Army Chief’s orders are followed without question. These remarks should not have been made,” he said.
To another question regarding Army’sreconciliatory role in Faizabad sit-in, he said that the issue was very sensitive and whatever was done was in accordance with the directions of Prime Minister.
Regarding distribution of envelopes among the Faizabad protesters by a Rangers official he said, “Do you reallythink we are so naive that we would give Rs 1,000 to the protestors? It was done to normalise the situation. That’s what is important.” (APP)
