Military rules out martial law
ISLAMABAD: Ruling out any possibility of imposing martial law in the country in the wake of violent protest by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the military spokesman on Friday rejected news that made rounds in the social media that some top ranking army officials have resigned and disobeyed Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir.
Speaking on Geo News show ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry Sharif said: “I want to say very clearly that Gen Asim Munir and the senior army leadership under him wholeheartedly support democracy and will keep doing so. There is no question of martial law.”
He reiterated his response when pressed for elaboration. “Neither any resignation was given nor any disobedience was committed,” the DG said.
He said despite internal disturbance and external conspiracies, armed forces of the country were united.
He said no army official had tendered his resignation and no order of the COAS had been disobeyed.
He said army leadership believed in the continuity of democracy even in the prevailing deadlock between the government and PTI.
“There is no question of imposition of martial law,” Maj-Gen Chaudhry reiterated.
Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2023