Media reports reveal that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa had a meeting with the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to discuss the upcoming Azadi March, scheduled for October 31.
The striking revelation came from an anchor hosting a private TV channel show on Wednesday evening. The concerned anchor was also one of the senior media persons who met with Prime Minister Imran Khan earlier on Wednesday.
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As per the anchor’s revelations, the meeting between the JUI-F Chief and the Army Chief took place a few days ago, when Maulana Fazlur Rehman had just announced his agenda to carry out the Azadi March.
COAS Stands with Democracy
The co-host of the TV Show claimed that the said meeting was a well-known occurrence in media circles, and the Army Chief had guaranteed his commitment to uphold democratic and constitutional norms.
The Premier said that the Pakistan Army stands behind him, and is fully supportive of his government’s vision
Reportedly, the Army Chief General Bajwa said, “We have been acting as per the demands of the Constitution.” Reports reveal that he also reminded Maulana Fazlur Rehman of his obligations to the nation as a responsible political leader.
The anchors stated that the Army Chief reminded Maulana Fazl that the regional situation remains critical given the ongoing tensions with India due to the abrogation of occupied Kashmir’s special constitutional privileges.
He observed that the situation on the border with India remains erratic given the developments in occupied Kashmir, while the Afghanistan conflict is another harbinger of chaos for Pakistan. Reportedly, the Army Chief also cited the growing tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and he urged Maulana to reconsider the timing of the protest as the economy had finally returned on the right track after monumental efforts in the country and in foreign capitals.
No Room for Destabilization
The co-host added that the Chief of Army Staff clearly stated that the Pakistan Army would not allow the country to be destabilized given the economic and regional backdrop.
Read more: Will the opposition resign if they are stopped from coming to Islamabad?
The Army Chief also made it clear to Maulana Fazlur Rehman that the concept of eliminating Imran Khan is unachievable. He stated that the constitution has allowed Imran Khan to assume the Prime Ministerial office. He said, “Neither me nor you can eliminate him.”
As per the revelations made by the co-host, the Army Chief also clarified that if Maulana Fazl insists upon staging a protest, it is likely to lead to some eliminates. He maintained that in order to maintain stability, if any casualties occur and the Constitution facilitates, action will be taken to maintain law and order without any hesitation.
The co-host claimed that Maulana made a phone to “someone else” and sought blessings for staging the Azadi March, only upon given assurances that he will not stage a sit-in and there will not be a public meeting, however, he must be given permission to lead the march.
The co-host added that Maulana Fazlur Rehman was harshly forbidden against carrying out the march as well. However, the said co-host did not offer a name for the person that Maulana called for his “blessing”.
PM Imran Khan, on Wednesday, made it clear that the PTI-led government will not give into the pressure that Maulana Fazlur Rehman intends to create with his Azadi March
He claimed that Maulana’s morale has dipped alarmingly role as the Imran Khan-led government has made some clever moves in the past five days. Media reports suggest that Maulana Fazlur Rehman has not offered any explanations about his meeting with the Army Chief.
Pak Army Stands with Imran Khan
Prime Minister Imran Khan, on Wednesday, made it clear that the PTI-led government will not give into the pressure that Maulana Fazlur Rehman intends to create with his Azadi March.
The Premier said that the Pakistan Army stands behind him, and is fully supportive of his government’s vision. He said that the relationship between the civil and military leadership of Pakistan is marked with trust, and both have faith in each other’s agendas.
He said that the combined efforts of the civil-military leadership will succeed in bringing the country out of turmoil. He vowed never to abandon the country, and bring Pakistan out of its ongoing economic crisis.
Read more: Why does Establishment Support Imran Khan but not us? Shehbaz Sharif Vexed
Highlighting the conspiracies behind the protest organized by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, he said that the march is driven by a sinister agenda. In response to a question on the proof behind his allegations of a vested foreign interest in the Azadi March, he said that there is no evidence, but given the regional situation and the timing of the protest, the only power to benefit from the resulting political turmoil is India.