Chief of the Army Staff(COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at a gathering disbanded the print that the establishment in Pakistan was involved in the mistreatment of intelligencers or confining freedom of the press in the country, The News learnt on Thursday.
The army chief was speaking to members of the Washington-grounded think tank community at a special event held at the Pakistani minister’s hearthstone on Wednesday, the last day of his nearly week-long visit to the US.
Responding to a question during the event, the army chief maintained that there were no restrictions on freedom of the press in Pakistan and that the country’s “establishment wasn’t involved ” in any untoward incident that took place in this regard.
According to one of the attendees, who requested not to be named since they had to observe the Chatham House rules, Gen Bajwa impressed his American followership with his “unexpectedly candid” reflections.
There were a couple of dozen people at the gathering.
“Everything was bandied,” another attendee said without giving away motifs that were spoken on at the gathering. “The army chief said a great numerous effects that surprised us, in a positive way,” the attendee said.
Another party said that the army principal “spoke his mind” and wasn’t “putting on a face” to please the followership.
Speaking about domestic politics, one party observed that the army principal maintained a “balancing act.”
Other sources familiar with the event told the publication that the army principal bandied US- Pakistan bilateral relations, emphasising that the two “ strategic mates ” should enhance trade and profitable ties. He also expressed enterprises about the country’s profitable situation.
Gen Bajwa appreciated that Pakistan wasn’t hyphenated with any other country presently and its relations with other countries stood on their own. He said that Pakistan wanted good and independent relations with every country, including the US and China.
The Kashmir issue was brought up during the session, to which the army principal underscored that indeed though Pakistan always wanted a resolution as soon as possible so that both countries could have better neighbourly relations, the August 2019 decision of the Modi government has changed the situation.
The army chief also suggested that the transnational community should engage with the Taliban in Afghanistan at some position. He stressed that all stakeholders have to work together to deal with the challenges.
