Army can’t afford to side with any party: DG ISPR

RAWALPINDI: Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa told BBC Urdu that the army was not involved in politics nor was it supporting any party in the current political crisis in the country.

The DG ISPR said: “The army has maintained its stance from the beginning that this is a political issue and should be resolved politically. The army cannot afford to take the side of one party because it is the entire nation’s army.” He added that the army had not supported any party in the past nor would it do so in the future.




Speaking on the issue of terrorism, Major General Bajwa said the capacity of Taliban militants to carry out attacks in Pakistan had been eliminated and after being scattered they were only capable of carrying out random attacks.

The DG ISPR dismissed the impression that militants were once again gaining strength. Pointing towards the Taliban, Major General Bajwa said he thought that they (Taliban) were not gaining strength but were carrying out random attacks because they were scattered.

The military spokesman said the Taliban had been dealt a major blow because of Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan. According to Major General Bajwa the military operation was meeting its goals but there could be no deadline on its completion.