Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who once enjoyed a cordial relation with ex-army chief General (Retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa during his government’s tenure, asserted on Friday that he had more information than a famous TV anchorperson Hamid Mir on “Kashmir deal”.
Hamid Mir recently had claimed that the former army chief told a selected group of media persons in an off the record interaction that the Pak Army was “not capable of combat”.
Recalling the events after ceasefire of 2021, he accused Bajwa of striking a deal with India on Kashmir details of which, he added, had not so far made public.
However, Imran Khan while responding to journalists’ queries about Hamid Mir’s statement at the Islamabad High Court said “I know more things than that, but this is a national security issue”.
“I don’t want it to become international news and Pakistan to suffer.”
Meanwhile, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued a news release earlier in the day and said the former army chief’s comments were taken “out of the context”.
“Recently, there have been discussions in media on Pakistan Army’s combat worthiness in view of the condition of certain weapon systems on its inventory,” said the military’s media wing.
“To this end, views of former army chief on future threat to Pakistan, which he shared with media persons in an off the record interactive session, have been quoted out of the context,” it added.
The ISPR said the Army assured the people of Pakistan that it always took and would continue to take pride in its operational preparedness and utmost combat worthiness.
“Pakistan’s Armed Forces always did and will continue to keep their weapons, equipment and battle hardened human resource ever ready for the defence of motherland,” the ISPR stated.
