Major General Asif Ghafoor Bajwa press conference

Democracy Has no Threat from Pakistan Army                     :DGISPR                                           RAWALPINDI:Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor on Saturday said the armed forces pose no threat to democracy in Pakistan.

"There is no threat to democracy from the Pakistan Army, but there could be a threat to democracy if its requirements are not being met," he said.

"I want to add that there needs to be stability. The government needs to continue and an established democratic system needs to continue," said the military spokesman. 

"I have to say this because there are a lot of rumours about martial law and the installation of a technocratic government."

"We will play our part as and when required but whatever we do will be done by staying in our defined legal and constitutional limits," Major General Asif Ghafoor said while addressing a press conference. 

Referring to an earlier statement about the country’s economy that garnered harsh criticism from Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Ghafoor said that he felt disappointed by the minister’s reaction.

Magor General Asif Ghafoor's file photo

“I was disappointed, both as a soldier and citizen, at what was referred to as an irresponsible statement by me,” he said. “The country’s security and economy are closely interlinked and directly related."

He added that the recently held seminar on the interplay of security and economy included all relevant stakeholders.”

He insisted that all of the stakeholders, including the business community, have to come together to jointly tackle the current challenges to Pakistan’s economy.

“The security situation plays a key role in the country’s economy and all stakeholders must jointly work to improve the country’s situation,” Ghafoor said. 

I have never said in any of my press conference“s that only the armed forces have worked hard against the current challenges; I have always said that all institutions have made great efforts to move towards a better future.