Dispelling speculation: Army wants elections on time says DG ISPR

DG ISPR says polls delay not in the military’s interest.

ISLAMABAD:

The army put some fears to rest on Thursday when it gave the democratic system its blessings and said it looked forward to timely polls.

Amidst widespread speculation that the security establishment may be attempting to delay upcoming polls, the army declared its support for continuity in the democratic setup and free and fair elections.

“We have been supporting the current democratic setup during the past five years and we will support elections to take place on time,” said Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa.

The rare political statement by the chief military spokesman appears to be aimed at dispelling reports that the military may be pushing for a technocratic setup, instead of parliamentary polls in May.

On Thursday, the DG ISPR strongly rejected such reports. “The Army will have no benefit if the elections are delayed,” said Bajwa while talking to journalists in Rawalpindi.

Quetta massacre

When asked about the Hazara demand for the army to be deployed in Quetta, the director-general said the army had no qualms about taking over the security of Quetta, but the government had decided against such a move.



He went on to add that the decision to impose Governor’s rule in Balochistan was purely ‘political’, adding that army had nothing to do with the decision. The government imposed Governor’s rule last month in the wake of the Quetta blast. But recent reports indicate that the government may be planning to lift emergency rule and restore civilian rule.

Legal experts believe that the restoration of the provincial government may have more to do with fulfilling a constitutional requirement for the interim setup in upcoming elections.

The top military spokesperson also defended the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), saying the spy agency was operating within its mandate. He said the agency had carried out 130 intelligence operations in Balochistan and prevented several terrorist attacks in the past four months.

Bajwa also denied the impression that the army was backing outlawed militant outfits, including Laskhar-e-Jhangvi, which claimed responsibility for the Hazara Town carnage.

He said that the Frontier Corps (FC) had set up 19 additional posts in Kalat and Quetta divisions to further strengthen the security situation in the province, adding that a targeted operation led by the FC and supported by the police and intelligence agencies was underway in the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22^nd, 2013.