Athar Abbas comments: Ex-servicemen cautioned against public statements
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has cautioned retired senior servicemen about making statements on current developments in the country.
“Senior retired army officers should be very careful while making statements regarding the current sensitive situation prevailing in the country,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
The statement came two days after former Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director general (DG) Maj-Gen (retd) Athar Abbas told the BBC in an interview that former army chief Gen (retd) Ashfaq Parvez Kayani was reluctant to launch a military operation in North Waziristan Agency.
While answering reporters’ questions about the former army spokesperson’s statement, Nisar said “wisdom and prudence demand that people who were involved in important decisions should be secretive as it would be good for the nation and the country.”
“In this age of media, any little slip of the tongue can create an adverse situation [for the country],” he said. “At this stage of history, bringing into open decisions of the current or former leadership of the military in this way may create difficulties but cannot be helpful in providing a solution,” he added.
The interior minister appealed to the media to show restraint in making this statement a topic of discussion at a time when Pakistan direly needs unity.
In his interview with the BBC on Monday, Maj-Gen (retd) Athar Abbas disclosed that the army was on the brink of launching a military offensive in North Waziristan three years ago, but was unable to due to Kayani’s reluctance.
He said the military leadership had given the go-head for an operation in North Waziristan in 2010, and preparations for it were made for one year, but it was pulled back at the last minute due to ‘Kayani’s indecisiveness’.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 3rd, 2014.
COMMENTS (19)
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Armed Forces leadership has to be bold to take decisions in the interest of the nation.So should be the case of the government institutions and functionaries .Outcome of such decisions,sometimes may not come out to be as expected in the national interest .The nation must stand by its leaders irrespective of the outcome of the action taken by the leadership once the action taken was according to the rule of the law .If we admire the functionaries of the nation according to the outcome of their decisions ,admire them in one case and condemn them when the result is not according to our expectations we encourage them to inaction indecision.Let our leadership be bold in taking action against the enemies of the country,enemies of the Pakistani nation and enemies of the society.Let us defend our forces ,our police and our law enforcing agencies. If we do not support them we can not hope peace and stability in the country. But we must make sure that no body is wronged .No innocent is harmed.
@Umer: "...the Sikandar six hours saga in Islamabad ..." was a political ploy of a political party and Nisar smartly let it unfold and fizzle out and made sure their was no casualty. Unlike the Islamabad misadventure/political ploy, the Karachi airport attack was due to a selective operation of the Sindh govt, which failed to take notice of the alarms that were sent to it by Nisar. After the Eighteenth Amendment, the Federal Govt has to take a backseat as regards provincial security matters. Nisar is also cautious since the Sindh govt is extra-sensitive to Federal "interference." Kudos to Nisar for doing as well as he is in the given restrictive environment.
@goldconsumer: "Just becuse the general in question happens to be of a certain “migrated” minority of Pakistan, Mr. Nisat felt the need to show his “concerns” Athar Abbas has violated discipline and made an untimely sensitive statement. It has nothing to do with his "ethnic" identity. Think straight.
Genl Athar spoke the truth but it was untimely.
@NonSense:
Oh really? Remember the Sikandar six hours saga in Islamabad and the Karachi Airport attack; both times Nisar was no where to be seen. Seems he is not doing his job and meddling in others.
@watchtower:
Columinist Haroon Rashid always quotes Kiyani as having told him this and that even when Kiyani was in command. Why does this not apply to Kiyani and Haroon Rashid?
And it is perfectly alright for Nawaz League to have Ex General charged with treason as they have personal vendetta against him.
what a sad state of affairs. Army men going to media and trying to get there 2 minute of FAME! the whole nation pays the price for such 2 MINUTES OF FAME. why spill beans at this specific moment. the NATIONAL INTEREST is lost in such tactics.
What about Hamid Gul and Co. ranting whatever in the name of national interest that actually gives a whip to the west to do what ever they feelk needful in that matter with it? Just becuse the general in question happens to be of a certain "migrated" minority of Pakistan, Mr. Nisat felt the need to show his "concerns"
Why not Gen Athar open up his mouth when he was praising all act of Gen Keyani? It is fashion in Pakistan that people starts their own benefactors "mohsins" from whom they get all the benefits and once they quit such type of people starts blaming them. If he has courage, loyality with Pakistan and think that Gen Keyani was doing wrong he should voice in the presence of Gen Keyani.
@Jibran: Choudhury Nisar is filling the gaps wherever other ministers are lacking. He is very much relevant and contrary to your opinion quite capable, effective, and erudite.
only to Athar Abbas. General sahib, did they teach you and did you learn " Customs of Service " and 'Espirit de corps" You let down those who trusted you as a confidant. this was not the way of soldering when i served.
I wonder why these Pakistani elites are so keen on opening up their hearts to the western media ! Are they paid up or is it just the colonial raaj mentality ?
Pakistan has Official Secret Act 1923
For how long our national leadership will serve as hypocrites. Any personal or professional weaknesses must be revealed in any healthy democratic decisions making process and for military the persons involved must be brought to light for public consumption and for improvements. We can see this trend adopted by our arch rival Indian military as well not to mention highest military and political leadership in the USA is heavily grilled for making any wrong decisions right in the congressional forum. If we continue to be hypocrites then Kargal, East Pakistan Tragedy and several embarrassments at world level will continue to happen.
Chaudhry Nisar is increasingly becoming more and more irrelevant. His opinion carries neither credibility nor weight.
And, should the Minister of Defense fail to notice, much less note the "spilling of beans?" Is Nisar also taking care of the ministry of defense as well?