Asghar Ali Shad
Hammad Asghar Ali
Everyone knows that a year ago, on May 9 and 10, 2023, a hateful mob, disguised as political activists, made a concerted effort to incite the public against the country and law enforcement agencies. This violent group blocked roads, launched organized attacks on military installations, laid siege to various secure and highly sensitive defensive sites, vandalized government property, and desecrated the memorials of martyrs. An astonishing aspect of all this is that during the tragic incident of May 9, almost all major Indian news channels were broadcasting these events live, which indicates that India might have known in advance that such incidents were going to happen. That is why channels like “Zee News,” “Republic Bharat,” and “News Nation” was providing live coverage of the incident. These ruffians made every effort to incite rebellion among the public, vandalizing and desecrating several monuments and insulting the families of martyrs. According to neutral observers, the numerous acts of vandalism during this chaos deeply traumatized the relatives of the martyrs because they couldn’t understand why, after their loved ones had sacrificed their lives for the nation, a violent group would repay them with such disgrace. It is no secret that the root cause of the tragic events on May 9 was Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who, over the past two years, crafted a narrative that directly targeted Pakistan and the Pakistan Army. The corroborated evidence, coming to light in a consistent manner, has revealed minute-by-minute details of the whole matter to the world. It’s also worth mentioning that this situation did not arise suddenly, but that IK diligently worked to bring things to this point. Everyone knows that after his government was ousted, he held 55 rallies where he repeatedly urged people to break the idols of fear and instead of being afraid, scare others and do what was done a few years ago in Turkey. Clearly, Imran Khan’s primary target was the Pakistan Army and national security agencies. In the first week of August 2022, when the head of Pakistan Army’s Southern Command, Lieutenant General Sarfraz, and his colleagues were martyred, the deplorable trends propagated by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were something no ordinary Pakistani could think of. At that time, the martyrs were mocked with extremely derogatory language. Additionally, the insults made by individuals like Azam Swati and Shahbaz Gill are also well-known, and it has become clear to any rational person that Imran Khan was the driving force behind all these events. Furthermore, Imran Khan’s involvement in the portrayal of journalist Arshad Sharif’s death, and the venom spewed by Jamil Farooqi and company against the Pakistan Army and national security agencies, can all be traced back to him and his allies. Taking stock of the situation, serious circles have remarked that on one hand, Imran Khan persistently targeted the leadership of the Pakistan Army by name; while on the other hand, he lauded Modi and his allies, adding salt to the wounds of Kashmiris. This trend continued for two years, strengthening the BJP and resulting in Indian media’s preference for criticizing the Pakistan Army and ISI. This allowed them to concoct fictional stories about the Pakistan Army, stories that even India itself might not have imagined. Nevertheless, in this context, a few days ago, the Pakistan Army held a Formation Commanders Conference, where the Chief of Army Staff stated that the State of Pakistan and the Armed Forces hold the martyrs of Pakistan and their families in the highest respect and will always honor their eternal sacrifices. He further stated that there is a deep relationship between the Pakistani public and the armed forces, central to national security. Violent attacks on law enforcement agencies and security forces, false allegations of human rights violations, and attempts to stop political activities are aimed at misleading the public and tarnishing the image of the armed forces for nefarious political gains. Malicious elements and their supporters are attempting to create societal division and chaos through fake and unfounded news and propaganda, but all efforts to sow discord and hide behind false human rights violations will be futile. The irrefutable evidence collected cannot be denied or distorted, and with the support of the nation, all such malicious intents will be defeated, Insha’Allah.In this context, observers have noted that the enduring relationship between the Pakistan Army and the public, as demonstrated after the tragic events of May 9, is indeed encouraging and has rightfully extinguished the hopes of those seeking to undermine national unity. Furthermore, Imran Khan’s interview with “The Telegraph,” in which he spewed venom against Pakistan’s political and military leadership is highly condemnable.