‘Culprits conspiring against army be brought to justice’

Elements behind an organised conspiracy against the Pakistan army should be brought to justice, said Senator Irfan Siddiqui on Friday.

Talking to journalists at the Parliament House, the senator said that the army’s interference in political affairs, imposition of martial laws and those generals who abrogated the constitution have always been criticised.

“This has been a major cause of the current crisis, but now the PTI has targeted the Pakistani army as an institution,” he said.

“The incumbent army chief, who was targeted before his appointment, still remains the target of smear campaigns,” he said.

In response to a question, Senator Siddiqui said that the PTI was targeting the army not only within the country but also at the international level. The protest outside the British Prime Minister's residence and other places was part of the same plan.

He said letters are being sent to United Nations and other organizations and they have hired firms for propaganda.

Siddiqui said that PTI leaders are reaching out to diplomats in Islamabad to make them believe that the army is trampling on basic human rights through the government, and that the army is responsible for whatever is happening in the country.

Senator Siddiqui said that targeting the army as an institution and accusing its chief is equivalent to playing with national defense.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2023.