Pakistan Army 'too busy' to get involved in politics: Maj Gen Ghafoor

The Pakistan Army on Wednesday claimed that it was "too busy" in matters of the national security to indulge in any political issue, apparently referring to the mass protests against Pakistan PM, led by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman demanding Imran Khan's resignation. 

The ironic claim was made by Pakistan Army spokesperson Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, in an interview to a Pakistan news channel. When questioned if the Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa would mediate the ongoing uprisings, dubbed as 'Azadi March' against Imran Khan said that the Army had nothing to do with the politics of the sit-ins. He further claimed that the Army is too busy in the matters of national security and defence to become involved in things like these and respond to these allegations.

When asked if the Army chief would try to resolve the ongoing dharna against the government, he said, "the dharna is a political activity which the army as an institution has nothing to do with. Moreover, responding to the allegations of election rigging, the Pakistan Army spokesperson refused any role in the country's electoral process. "It neither has any role in the country's electoral process nor has it any desire to do so," he said.

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 in Pakistan on November 1 to topple the incumbent government.

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Soft Coup 

Pakistan's powerful military establishment has dominated the politics of the country. Last month, Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa privately held a meeting with the country's top business personalities in a bid to bolster Pakistan's cash-strapped economy. "National security is intimately linked to the economy while prosperity is a function of balance in security needs and economic growth," Gen Bajwa, who is also part of the National Development Council, told the audience.

Army chief has been taking a keen interest in the revival of the economy after apparent failure of the Imran Khan government to deliver on the economic front even after one year in power Gen Bajwa was appointed as a member of the high-powered National Development Council, put in place in July to set Pakistan's long-term economic plan. The Pakistan Army chief had also accompanied Imran Khan to China and the US during his official visit this year. 

Bajwa has reportedly directly interfered into Pakistan government's decisions pushing for a cabinet reshuffle. This ultimately led to Bajwa's appointment as a member of the newly-formed National Development Council headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan. In August, Imran Khan extended Bajwa's term by three years after the termination of his current tenure to tackle 'regional security' issues in the current environment as stated in an official statement by the Pakistan PMO.

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