Islamabad: The Pakistan Army on Saturday warned that no one will be allowed to create instability and chaos in the country, a day after the incalcitrant cleric and politician Maulana Fazlur Rehman set a two-day deadline for Prime Minister Imran Khan to step down.
The hard-line cleric addressed a massive protest rally, dubbed “Azadi March”, held here on Friday to topple the incumbent government.
In his address to tens of thousands of protestors, the right-wing opposition leader said the “Gorbachev of Pakistan” must resign without testing the patience of peaceful protestors.
He also said that only people of Pakistan and not any “institution” had the right to govern the country. “We do not want conflict with our institutions. But we also want to see them to stay neutral. We give two days to the institutions (also) to decide if they will continue to support this government,” he said on Friday.
“Maulana Fazlur Rehman is a senior politician. He should clarify which institution he is talking about. Pakistan’s armed forces are an impartial state institution which always supports democratically elected governments,” Pakistan Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said in response to Rehman’s remarks.
“Nobody would be allowed to create instability as the country cannot afford chaos,” he warned. Ghafoor said the army was neutral and supported democratically elected governments in accordance with the Constitution.
He also defended the army’s deployment during the 2018 general elections, saying it fulfilled the constitutional responsibility in the polls. “If the opposition has any reservations [about the results], it can approach the relevant forums instead of levelling allegations on the streets,” he added.
Ghafoor said in democracies issues should be resolved democratically and appreciated the contact between the protestors and the government.
Reacting to Ghafoor’s remarks, Rehman told the media after meeting with the opposition leaders that the military spokesman should avoid giving such statements which violate the neutrality of the army.
The much-hyped “Azadi March” led by Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) reached its final destination Islamabad on Thursday after it set off from the Sindh province and left Lahore on Wednesday.
Along with Rehman, leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (ANP) participated in the march held to topple Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government led by Prime Minister Khan.
‘Don’t underestimate Imran govt’
Pakistan’s Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry, here on Saturday, cautioned the opposition against considering the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party government weak.
Taking to social media, Chaudhry said the government was exercising restraint over the Azadi march led by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, demanding resignation of the Prime Minister, on Imran Khan’s directives, Pakistani media reported.
“Don’t underestimate the PTI government. We are exercising restraint because Imran Khan has desired so,” he wrote.
If the Prime Minister wanted, a phone call would settle the matter, he said and added, the protesters would not find any place to hide in that case. (IANS)
