RAWALPINDI: Director General, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, on Friday strongly criticised Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) narrative-based campaign against the Pakistan Army, declaring it a direct threat to national security.
He also accused the party of gaining support from media outlets of those countries whose forces, he said, had previously suffered defeat at the hands of the Pakistan Army.
Addressing a press conference, the DG ISPR presented some anti-army reports being repeatedly aired on Indian television channels.
He stated that the party’s narrative relied heavily on sensationalism, disinformation, and a systematic distortion of facts — elements that were further amplified by influencers allegedly aligned with PTI and boosted by Indian and Afghan social media ecosystems.
“Under which law, rule, or constitutional provision can this be permitted? Lt Gen Chaudhry questioned. He called it a “creeping national security threat” that the military considers imperative to counter.
He said that instead of prioritising matters of public interest — including governance challenges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where PTI has ruled for over a decade, as well as persistent issues in education, health, security, and economic management — the party had centred its politics on attacking state institutions, particularly the armed forces.
He described one man in jail as “mentally sick,” alleging that the individual continued to place personal agenda above broader national interests. “No one is above Pakistan,” he stressed, adding that no one would be allowed to undermine the country’s integrity.
The DG ISPR cautioned that coordinated attempts to create distrust between the armed forces and the Pakistani public through nefarious design would not be tolerated.
He underlined that the military represents the entire nation, comprising citizens from every province, region, ethnicity, and faith, and any attack on the institution was tantamount to attacking national unity.
The DG ISPR underscored the strategic role of Pakistan’s armed forces in defending the country against both external and internal threats, cautioning that attacks on the military directly weaken national security. “It is the armed forces,” he said, “that stand between the people of Pakistan and the Hindutva-driven hegemonic designs of India”.
“These same forces stand between the nation and the khawarij, terrorists, the Fitna al-Khawarij, and the Fitna al-Hindustan operating from Afghanistan,” he added.
He further elaborated on what he termed PTI’s “anti-state agenda,” linking its support networks in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to illegal activities, including narcotics trafficking, abductions, extortion, and the widespread use of non-custom-paid vehicles.
Lieutenant General added that hostile foreign elements were exploiting PTI’s narrative to malign Pakistan internationally, warning that such collaboration — intentional or otherwise — served the interests of adversaries rather than the people of Pakistan.
He reiterated that the Pakistan Army remained committed to safeguarding the country and would continue to counter propaganda, misinformation, and any attempts to destabilise the state.
Earlier, he congratulated everyone on the appointment of the Chief of Defense Forces. The Chief of Defense Forces has started working.
In the current warfare situation, it is necessary to work in a coordinated manner across all sectors including land, air, naval, and cyber. This step was a long-standing need; other countries also have such headquarters. This step in the instructions of the Parliament is an important milestone in the country’s defense.