Happy over trust showed by US, can't 'do more': ISPR DG
Not possible to do more than what the military is offering to maintain peace currently
RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) – Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor has said on Saturday that rescue of the Canadian family is an incidence to begin better ties with the United States as President Donald Trump among foreign authorities entrusted Pakistan Army with the lives of the captives.
He said that United States ambassador telephoned General Headquarters at around 04:00pm in the evening that day and asked for assistance to secure the Canadian family.
He said that the army was taken in loop in the past about the captives who were rescued earlier this week.
Know also: Family freed from Taliban captivity arrives in Canada
Army’s priority was to save the lives of the captives after two vehicles were traced by the troops. Friendly casualties could not be afforded which is why shootout was preferred to be avoided.
However, a successful operation led the Canadian family to fly back to their homeland after years.
He said that the journalists were briefed in detail about the internal and border security situation in his last press conference. Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s Afghanistan tour was also briefed upon the last time, he said.
ISPR DG said that efforts of the military have bore fruitful results since then.
Khawaja Asif’s invitation to US
Responding to foreign minister Khawaja Asif s stance that he maintained during his recent United States tour, Major General Ghafoor said that there has never been a question of a joint operation against Haqqani network on Pakistani soil and there would never be.
Asif had said in one of his interviews during his US stay that he has requested United States authorities to identify terror hideouts in Pakistan for action against those.
During the media talk, the foreign minister said that he stands by his stance, which he maintained in an interview whilst the United States stay, irrespective of its unacceptability by some.
He rhetorically asked why National Action Plan was needed if everything was alright internally.
Ahsan Iqbal’s economy check
ISPR DG claimed that he never commented on economic affairs of the country. Security situation in Pakistan and economic progress go hand in hand among other factors, he said.
However, he sad that democracy is not threatened by Pakistan military. Statements and reports claiming of a brewing de-facto martial law are nothing but baseless, he added.
Earlier interior minister Ahsan Iqbal had given a statement on Friday advising Major General Ghafoor to abstain from commenting on country’s economy.
Iqbal is touring United States and during his stay he took notice of the mismanagement and clash between law enforcers and lawyers belonging to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in accountability court during hearing of a corruption reference against Maryam Nawaz and Capt (r) Safdar.
Major General Ghafoor had commented on the economical affairs of Pakistan in an exclusive talk with Dunya News in programme ‘Dunya Kamran Khan Kay Sath’.
He had maintained that the economic situation of Pakistan is not bad but not good either and a comprehensive strategy was needed to secure the future.
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