Islamabad: Pakistan’s Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has directed the country’s commanders and different key officers, such as the ones related to the ISI, to live farfar from politics and keep away from interacting with politicians.
These guidelines were given after reviews stated that Pakistan army status quo become concerned in political engineering to control the approaching via way of means of-elections in Punjab to the drawback of PTI, The News International newspaper reported.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan additionally claimed that a number of his applicants have complained to him of receiving phone calls from unknown numbers. The PTI leader additionally stated that his birthday birthday celebration leaders and employees have been being pressurised to engineer the via way of means of-elections.
According to The News, the country’s defence reassets lament over those allegations and disclosed that the ISI quarter commander, Lahore, who’s being maligned via way of means of the PTI leaders, isn’t always even in Lahore for over a fortnight in reference to a number of his expert paintings in Islamabad.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) have been strictly directed to live farfar from politics. The ISI DG Lt Gen had directed officers of the intelligence organisation that no interference into politics and political subjects could be tolerated.
Pakistan media reviews stated the unauthorized political position of the organisation has dented the recognition of the ISI. However, the incumbent ISI DG is stated to have determined to hold the organization farfar from politics to live farfar from useless controversies.
Last month, the Pakistan army stated it does now no longer want to offer protection for upcoming polling physical activities withinside the country, not like the 2018 preferred elections.
However, the army confident its availability in case, a want arises all through electioneering, the Dawn newspaper reported.
“The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) leader has lately despatched a letter to the military leader in search of deployment of military troops for protection [of the electoral process],” ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan informed newshounds in advance of the approaching via way of means of-election in Karachi’s NA-245.
Hamid Khan stated army employees will continue to be withinside the third-tier of the safety ring and can be to be had for ‘short response’
He clarified that troops could now no longer be deployed at polling stations, aleven though the paramilitary Rangers pressure could “live near the polling stations”.
Back in 2018, the ECP had granted extensive judicial powers to the militia at polling stations.
This uncommon pass that had attracted critical grievance from human rights groups, Dawn reported.