Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has rejected rumours about an in-house conspiracy in the army and said there is no room for success of such a plot within the disciplined and professional force. Chaudhry Nisar dismissed as “ridiculous and baseless” the rumours suggesting that a plot had been hatched up by some army officers to replace Army Chief General Raheel Sharif during the days of PTI’s sit-in in Islamabad last year. A PTI man, retired Brig Simon Sharaf, said in a talk-show that the party had been in contacts with the ISI during the sit-in and claimed that then ISI director general Lt Gen Zeheerul Islam, along with a few others, was supporting the protest, anticipating an action against the army chief by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif out of nervousness. According to him, a telephonic conversation between Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam and some PTI men was played during a meeting between the prime minister and the army chief, after which Lt Gen Islam was summoned and asked by the army chief if he had asked him to do so. Lt Gen Islam replied in the negative and that was the end of the story the army chief wanted to send the Sharif government packing. Chaudhry Nisar said the army chief enjoyed complete confidence of the government, army and people, adding that such kite-flying at the expense of the army was not appropriate.Everyone would agree to the Minister that the Army Chief, General Raheel Sharif, has the trust of the nation, the Government and the Army and that spreading rumours or speaking against Armed forces is harmful for the country. That the present Government has full trust in the leadership of General Raheel Sharif is evident from the frequent interactions of the Prime Minister and the COAS on security related issues. Operation against terrorists and criminals has been launched by the Army with full political support and approval of the civilian Government. But the question arises as to why to comment on rumours and baseless notions when there was nothing of the sort cooking up anywhere in the country? Of course, there might be some elements in the ranks of different political parties and interest groups including PML-N who indulge in loose talk and might have something questionable in their mind but no one can stop anyone from flights of imagination. It was, therefore, unwise on the part of a Minister to comment upon things that are not visible in the air. There was absolutely no need to highlight a non-issue as this would encourage unnecessary kite-flying, which might not be in the interest of the country and the system. It is understood that General Raheel is hero of the nation as he is busy in a crusade aimed at salvaging the sinking ship of the society. No one – neither any civilian nor any military ruler – in the past picked up courage to catch the bull by the horns. General Raheel Sharif is not only fighting enemies of the country on the borders but also in the entire country as he has a mission to wipe out terror and restore a liveable Pakistan to his compatriots. It is because of his untiring efforts that morale of the nation has soared and now one can see bright faces and twinkling eyes over the prospects of normalcy in the country. Therefore, we must exercise caution and avoid becoming victims in the hands of rumour-mongers or day-dreamers.
pk.shafaqna.com
