Vawda warns of crackdown as state ‘draws line on enemies'
Senator Faisal Vawda has endorsed the stance, outlined by DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, saying the state had delivered an unequivocal message to what he termed 'internal and external enemies'.
His remarks came on Friday after the DG ISPR sharply criticised incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan, terming him a 'threat to national security' and cautioning that no one would be allowed to incite public against the armed forces.
In a statement posted on X, Vawda said he had repeatedly warned that the state would 'firmly answer' those targeting national institutions. “I had said that the state would respond decisively to the questions raised by enemies at home and abroad,” he stated.
میں نے کہا تھا ریاست بیرون ملک اور اندرون ملک دشمنوں کے کچھ سوالات کے جوابات خود ٹھوک بجا کر دے گی۔
میں نے کہا تھا فوج اور اس کے سپہ سالار پر بات کرنے پر زبان سے جوتے کی سول بنا دی جائیگی لیکن ریاست کے جواب سے پتہ چل گیا کہ جوتے کی سول تو بہت چھوٹی چیز ہے۔
ریاست نے واضح طور پر…Referring to criticism directed at the armed forces and the army chief, the senator said the government’s latest measures had exceeded what he had earlier cautioned. “I had said that anyone attacking the army or its chief would have their tongue turned into a shoe sole. But the state’s response has made it clear that even a shoe sole is a very small thing in comparison,” he remarked.
Vawda said the authorities had now taken a definitive position against individuals or groups promoting narratives against the country or its military. “The state has clearly said that those who stand against Pakistan and its army are carrying the enemy’s narrative — and that falls under treason,” he said.
In a pointed political attack, he added that while his 'political father' had once been the prime minister, 'those who are now without leadership have a father who is in jail and has been placed in the category of treason'.
Read: DG ISPR lashes out at Imran's 'anti-army' narrative, dubs it 'national threat'
He accused the PTI of working 'in coordination with India and Afghanistan', reiterating allegations, he said, he had been making for months. “The state has declared, in simple and clear language, that those acting as enemies, terrorists, or destabilisers are now declared traitors,” he said. “Pakistan will no longer tolerate any abusive talk about the state, the army, or the army chief.”
Vawda further claimed, he had previously predicted a series of steps — including bans, disqualifications, governor’s rule, and consequences for vloggers and May 9 fugitives. “I had told you all of this long ago. I hope you now understand,” he added.
Concluding his statement, Vawda warned what he called 'the time to leash the enemies of Pakistan on the streets' has now begun.