ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military hit back at mounting criticism of its long campaign against militancy and stressed its support for upcoming elections in a major public relations offensive on Monday.
The push comes one day after a rights group clashed with Taliban-linked militants in the country’s northwest, sparking fresh claims the military was backing proxy forces based in Pakistan that are fighting in Afghanistan.
Sunday’s fight between activists from the Pashtun Protection Movement (PTM) and militants during a rally Sunday left at least two dead and dozens injured on the Afghan border, according to a local official.
PTM has been calling for investigations into disappearances and extrajudicial killings by Pakistan’s security establishment, while also echoing accusations that the military allowed extremists a safe haven from which to launch attacks in Afghanistan.
But in a wide-ranging press conference, chief military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor slammed accusations that the country was harboring militants and accused PTM of being manipulated by “enemies of Pakistan.”
He went on to defend the conduct of Pakistan’s fight against insurgents, noting that thousands had lost their lives in the country’s battle against extremism.
“War is a cruel action and not a fair game, more than 70,000 Pakistanis and 16,000 soldiers have been killed and wounded in this war,” said Ghafoor during a press conference in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
Ghafoor was also at pains to emphasize the military’s support for elections set in July, as tensions mount following the ousting of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif by the Supreme Court on corruption charges last year.
Since being removed from power, Sharif has become increasingly confrontational with the military, repeatedly accusing them of unfairly targeting him and his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party.
Ghafoor said the military stood by Pakistan’s political development ahead of what is likely to be only the second democratic transfer of power in the nation’s 70-year history.
“There is nobody else happier than the army over the completion of parliament and government’s tenure,” Ghafoor said.
Pakistan has been under direct military rule for almost half of its existence, with at least 15 heads of states deposed before completing their term, often at the behest of the country’s powerful armed forces.
Pakistan military hits back at criticism as elections loom
Pakistan military hits back at criticism as elections loom
- Since being removed from power, former premier Nawaz Sharif has been increasingly confrontational with the military, repeatedly accusing them of unfairly targeting him and his party
- “There is nobody else happier than the army over the completion of parliament and government’s tenure,” chief military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said
Netanyahu demands Western governments fight antisemitism
- A father and son opened fire on people thronging the famous beach for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Sunday evening, killing 15 people and wounding dozens more
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Western countries to step up their fight against antisemitism and protect Jewish communities, two days after a deadly mass shooting at a Jewish event in Sydney.
“I demand that Western governments do what is necessary to fight antisemitism and provide the required safety and security for Jewish communities worldwide,” Netanyahu said in a video address on Tuesday.
“They would do well to heed our warnings. I demand action — now,” he added.
A father and son opened fire on people thronging the famous beach for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Sunday evening, killing 15 people and wounding dozens more.
The Australian authorities said the attack was antisemitic, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying it appeared to be “motivated by Islamic State ideology,” referring to the jihadist group that swept through Iraq and Syria more than a decade ago.
On Sunday, Netanyahu accused Canberra of having fueled antisemitism in the period leading up to the shooting.
“A few months ago I wrote to the Australian prime minister that your policy is pouring oil on the fire of antisemitism,” he said, referring to a letter he sent to Albanese in August following Canberra’s announcement that it would recognize Palestinian statehood.
“Antisemitism is a cancer that spreads when leaders are silent,” Netanyahu added during a televised public address at an event in southern Israel.
His words were echoed by Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who urged Canberra to act against the “surge” in antisemitism during a phone call with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong on Sunday.
