Tag: COAS Gen Bajwa

  • Imran Khan’s message to the nation from Adiala Jail

    Imran Khan’s message to the nation from Adiala Jail

    In a message to the nation released from Adiala Jail, the Founder Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, talked passionately about the upcoming general elections, highlighting the significance of February 8 as a day that symbolizes the dichotomy between freedom and slavery.

    Expressing confidence in the resilience of the nation, Khan stated, “I believe that my people stand united with the cause of freedom. Through their votes, they will safeguard Pakistan’s liberty.”

    Drawing attention to electoral manipulation on February 8, the Chairman voiced concern that a faction seeks to shackle the nation in chains of slavery.

    He pointed out that under what he calls the London Plan, a certified criminal was brought back to the country unjustly, wreaking havoc on the judicial system and trampling on the principles of justice and the constitution.

    Khan emphasized that efforts to manipulate the electoral process and undermine the rule of law have jeopardized the nation’s democratic foundations.

    Khan lamented that despite snatching the ‘bat’ from PTI to accommodate rivals, worst rigging is happening.

    Acknowledging the resilience and courage displayed by mothers, sisters, daughters, and party workers in facing injustice, the Chairman pledged to defeat all criminals within the bounds of the law and constitution, with the support of Allah and the nation.

    From his jail cell, the Chairman asserted that, with the blessings of Allah and the support of the people, all these criminals would be defeated, maintaining the integrity of the legal system.

    He urged citizens to exercise their right to vote on February 8, endorsing the movement for governance by law, supremacy of the constitution, and the restoration of democracy.

    The former Premier cautioned against unconstitutional forces attempting to subjugate the nation, warning that if these anti-constitutional powers succeed on February 8, they will establish a regime of theft and plunge the country further into turmoil.

    He called upon the people to exercise their voting power on February 8, making a decisive choice between freedom and slavery.

    “I want every individual in the nation to prepare, cast their votes, and ensure the protection of their votes, securing Pakistan’s path to constitutional governance on February 8,” Khan said.

  • ‘Imran Khan was offered a two-third majority by Bajwa to end protests in August 2022’, Aleema Khan

    ‘Imran Khan was offered a two-third majority by Bajwa to end protests in August 2022’, Aleema Khan

    Aleema Khan, the sister of former Prime Minister Imran Khan disclosed on Wednesday that her brother had once previously, received a message from the then Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa.

    The message reportedly offered a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly to Imran’s political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), if he agreed to end the nationwide protest he initiated after his ouster from the Prime Minister’s Office.

    PTI USA’s official account on X (former Twitter) posted, “In August 2022, General Bajwa, who was the COAS at the time, asked Imran Khan that if he stops talking about the conspiracy of regime change operation, which overthrew Khan’s government in April 2022, then PTI will be “allowed” to form a majority government in the upcoming elections. However, if Imran Khan doesn’t agree to stay quiet, then PTI will be reduced to only 30 seats.”

    Imran Khan launched a countrywide protest in April 2023, becoming the first prime minister in Pakistan’s history to be removed through a no-confidence vote.

    Despite governing the country for over three-and-a-half years, PTI faced challenges as allies defected, aligning with opposition parties that collectively sought to overthrow the PTI government.

    The former PTI chief had previously asserted that the conspiracy against his government originated within Pakistan, a departure from his earlier stance in which he had blamed the United States for his removal.

    During a media interaction after meeting Imran Khan at Adiala Jail, Aleema Khan shared the details of the alleged offer. She quoted her brother, saying, “In August 2022, General Bajwa approached me with an offer that if PTI ceased protests against regime change, a two-thirds majority for the party would be ensured in the National Assembly.”

    Imran Khan, according to Aleema Khan, expressed his unwavering commitment to principles, stating, “Our parents were born in a slave country; we are free, and I will not bow before anyone except God. We should face death than to accept slavery in a free country.”

    Aleema Khan also shed light on the challenges Imran faces in jail. She criticized the lack of an open trial in Adiala Jail, asserting that the cases against Imran Khan lacked substance. She further claimed that new cases are being brought up whenever he secures bail in an old case, suggesting a deliberate effort to keep the former prime minister incarcerated.

  • ‘Institute immediate inquiry against Gen Bajwa’: Khan writes letter to Alvi

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday asked President Arif Alvi to “institute an immediate inquiry” against former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) retired General Qamar Javed Bajwa for violating “his oath of office repeatedly” as the army chief.

    “Some very disturbing information has now come into the public domain whereby it is clear that Gen retd Bajwa as COAS violated his oath of office repeatedly,” Khan stated in a letter written to Alvi.

    PTI leader Shireen Mazari also announced the decision to ask for the inquiry on Twitter, sharing pictures of the said letter.

    Citing Javed Chaudhry’s column, Khan wrote that Gen Bajwa had “admitted to journalist Javed Chaudhry that ‘we’ considered Imran Khan [to be] dangerous to the country if he continued to stay in power”.

    He added that it would be “critical to ascertain” from Gen Bajwa that who did he refer to as “we”. The former premier raised the question, “Who gave him (Gen Bajwa) the power to decide that an elected prime minister (Imran) was supposedly a ‘danger to the country if he continued to stay in power’?”

    The former premier then went on to refer to a YouTube vlog made by political commentator Aftab Iqbal. He said according to Iqbal, “Gen Bajwa told him (Iqbal) in conversation that he had tapes of then-PM Imran Khan’s conversations with him”.

    Khan called it a “serious violation” of the former army chief’s oath as well as of his own fundamental human rights. “The question is why and under what authorisation was Gen Bajwa recording confidential conversations?” he asked.

    “I would also point out that Chapter II of the Constitution describes the mandate of the Armed Forces and specifically refers to Articles 243 and 244. Therefore it is your Constitutional duty as President and as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces to take immediate action and institute an inquiry so as to establish whether such grave violations of the Constitution and oath of Office under the Constitution have taken place.”

    Imran Khan alleged that Gen (retd) Bajwa violated his oath when he publicly went against the then government’s policy of maintaining neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine war.

    “He did this at an international conference in Islamabad on 2 April 2022 — the Islamabad Security Conference. I would like to point out that the govt policy was arrived at after developing a consensus of all stakeholders including MOFA and retired diplomats who had the relevant experience and were area specialists,” he wrote.

  • Gen Bajwa personally recorded conversations with Imran Khan, claims Aftab Iqbal

    Gen Bajwa personally recorded conversations with Imran Khan, claims Aftab Iqbal

    Television personality and anchorperson Aftab Iqbal has claimed that former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa recorded conversations with former Prime Minister Imran Khan when they used to meet.

    “General Bajwa told me that he has audio recordings of Imran Khan praising me for trapping Nawaz Sharif [in court cases and removing him from power]. He [Khan] used to come to me and share ideas of what more I should do with Nawaz Sharif,” reveals Iqbal.

    Iqbal said that Gen Bajwa claimed that he himself recorded the conversations and that former Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Chief Faiz Hameed also didn’t know about it.

    “Securing Faiz, Gen Bajwa said that he will reveal all information that he has on Khan,” said Iqbal.

    On the other hand, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has yet again come up with another narrative regarding his version of ‘regime change’. The former Prime Minister said that Gen Bajwa told the United States (US) that Khan is anti-America, which resulted in his ouster.

    In an interview with Voice of America, aired on Saturday, Khan said, “As things unfolded, it wasn’t the US who told Pakistan, it was unfortunately, from what evidences have now come out, it was General Bajwa who actually somehow managed to tell the Americans that I was anti-America and so it was not imported from there actually it was exported from here to there.”

  • Imran asks ‘neutrals’ who is responsible for PMO audio leaks?

    Imran asks ‘neutrals’ who is responsible for PMO audio leaks?

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday asked the “neutrals” — the term he uses for the military establishment — who was responsible for the security breach at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

    “I ask them [neutrals] that the audio leaks of the Prime Minister Office […] if the security of the Prime Minister Office has been breached […] this means that our enemies have our sensitive information,” Imran said in a speech at Edwardes College in Peshawar today. “Who is responsible for this,” he asked.

    “I ask the protectors today […] if robbers are looting a house, can the guards say that they are neutral? What will the residents say? That the house is being looted but the guards say they are neutral,” Imran said, claiming that Pakistan, too, was being “looted” today.

    Responding to Khan, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz said, ““The massive security breach you have done sitting in the PMO with your secretary and followers, even the biggest enemies of Pakistan couldn’t compete with it,” she tweeted.

    “A foreign-funded evil mind has been playing with the destiny of the country for the past four years and has the nerve to do that same today,” Maryam added.

    Khan’s comments come in relevance to his audio leaks related to the cipher and the foreign conspiracy.

  • Khan stopped me from meeting ‘boss’, says Sheikh Rasheed

    Khan stopped me from meeting ‘boss’, says Sheikh Rasheed

    Former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has claimed that former Prime Minister Imran Khan stopped him from going to meet “boss”. Rasheed was alluding to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

    Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, Rasheed said, “I will complain to boss about the Rangers. It was not the responsibility of the Rangers to use tear gas at protesters. Police could have done it but the Rangers doing it was wrong. They have a name and status. They should not ruin their reputation like this.”

    Rasheed was referring to the May 25 face-off between the police, Rangers and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters during the Imran Khan-led ‘Azadi March’.

    Anchorperson Shahzeb Khanzada asked if he [Rasheed] had called “boss” to complain and whether his number was blocked or not.

    “My number is open,” said Rasheed, adding that his number was open for all.

    When asked if he had contacted the boss, Rasheed responded, “Khan asked me not to go to meet boss. He stopped me. So I didn’t go. I can go to his house anytime but Imran Khan specially asked me not to go to his house.”

    “I do not want to disregard someone’s trust [in me]. Khan told me twice that Sheikh Rasheed, there are people involved in talks so you don’t go and meet him. I know everything. Where, when and what the negotiations were. I am telling you, I am still the most well-informed person of all. And this is the very reason I am telling the present government your days are numbered,” said Rasheed.

  • PML-N questions extension debate of army chief tenure by PM Khan

    PML-N questions extension debate of army chief tenure by PM Khan

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Ahsan Iqbal slammed Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan over talking about the extension of the Chief of Army Staff’s (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s extension, arguing that it is an “unconstitutional and political tactic”.

    Abbasi said that the Constitution of Pakistan was clear on the army chief’s appointment, saying: “The Constitution that we’ve read says the army chief gets appointed for three years. There has never been a debate on the extension of the army chief’s tenure.”

    Last week, PM Khan, in a programme said he had so far not thought about the extension of COAS as November [the appointment month of COAS] is far away.

    Similarly, PML-N Secretary-General Ahsan Iqbal condemned the act and said that the government is “trying to play a dangerous political card on the matter of the army chief’s appointment.”

    “A new military chief is appointed during the last three months of the incumbent’s tenure, therefore, talking about the extension before time is just a political tactic,” he added.

    General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s tenure was extended for three years by PM in August 2019, just three months before he was set to retire.

  • ‘All is settled, new DG ISI notification to be issued this week’: Fawad

    ‘All is settled, new DG ISI notification to be issued this week’: Fawad

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said, “All the matters have been resolved” and announced that the notification of the new director-general (DG) Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency would be issued this week.

    Chaudhry denied speculations that a new summary with names of candidates for the position of ISI chief had been sent to the Prime Minister (PM), reported Dawn.

    While mocking the Opposition, Fawad said, “It [Opposition] is thinking that there are some differences between the government and security institutions but its euphoria is gradually fading.”

    Fawad also invited the Opposition to work collectively with the government but rejected any possibility of holding discussions with its leaders on corruption cases.

    On inflation, Chaudhry said, “We don’t live on another planet. If there is a worldwide increase in the prices of oil, then we will also witness a hike in the prices.”

  • COVID-19: Jawad Sohrab of Sohrab Foundation emerges a pandemic hero

    COVID-19: Jawad Sohrab of Sohrab Foundation emerges a pandemic hero

    2020 has been a tough year for everyone across the globe considering the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdowns that followed. The World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a recent address remarked that the pandemic has shown humanity at “its best and worst”, pointing to “inspiring acts of compassion and self-sacrifice, breathtaking feats of science and innovation, and heartwarming demonstrations of solidarity.”

    In Pakistan, people have come together to help those in need and those most-affected. While the government mobilised resources to help the affected, members of civil society also stepped up and extended their support. Among those who offered their assistance is British-Pakistani businessman Jawad Sohrab Malik, who is also credited as being one of the top donors to the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of Pakistan Dam Fund.

    Jawad Sohrab Malik

    Jawad, through his charity organisation, The Sohrab Foundation, donated over 50,000 ration bags worth Rs 4,000 plus cash donation to daily wagers affected by the pandemic for distribution through the Pakistan Army. His efforts were appreciated by the armed forces and DG ISPR Major General Babar Iftikhar honoured him with a memento to acknowledge his efforts and contribution for supporting the society and providing relief during these troubled times. He was also lauded by Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa for his charity work, which is a huge feat in itself.

    According to details, the Sohrab Foundation has been engaged in charitable work for the last 10 years. Speaking about the foundation’s journey, Jawad had said: “We started with Iftar Dastarkhwan for 1000 people and the scope kept increasing every year. Now, under our Ramazan Dastarkhawn Programme, we provide meals to at least 300,000 people each year at multiple locations across the country.”

    He explained that due to the pandemic, the foundation decided to divert funds towards those affected by the virus and lockdown.

    “The needs of our times are increasingly urgent and this is a time when our countrymen need us the most. We must do all we can in our capacity to help those in need as this is the essence of our religion too. After all, we must not forget that Allah brings us in this world just so that we can help others and a person’s most useful asset is his or her willingness to assist another.”

    Furthermore, speaking exclusively to The Current Jawad added: “Charity has always been a focal pillar in our lives. This is what I learnt from my father and am just carrying on what he taught us on a larger and more organised scale and structure.”

    “Helping is above all, this doesn’t necessarily mean financially. It could be assisting someone with your time, advice, with kind words. As long as you can somehow comfort and help someone and make them feel better that’s what matters,” he continued.

    Meanwhile, Jawad is also playing a key role in building up trade relations between Pakistan and the United Kingdom. Earlier, in March 2019, Jawad had invited Labour MPs Naz Shah, Faisal Rasheed and former cabinet minister and Tory peer Baroness Sayeeda Warsi to his residence in Islamabad and informed them that Pakistani government under Prime Minister Imran Khan was committed to building stronger relations between the two countries and wanted businesses to invest in Pakistan. He shared the incentives the country was offering and encouraged them to also assist in building ties.

    “Life is too short, so let’s do everything we can today to help people now,” is what Jawad says his motto in life is and he is trying to do whatever he can to give back to his people and his country.

  • VIDEO: Army, ISI chiefs accused of toppling Nawaz govt

    VIDEO: Army, ISI chiefs accused of toppling Nawaz govt

    Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has accused Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa of toppling his government, pressuring the judiciary, and installing the current government of Prime Minister Imran Khan in the 2018 general elections.

    Nawaz Sharif was speaking via video link from London to a gathering of tens of thousands of people organised by opposition parties to kick-off a countrywide protest campaign in Gujranwala aiming to oust the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, you packed up our government, which was working well, and put the nation and the country at the alter of your wishes,” Nawaz told the gathering — the largest since the 2018 elections.

    The former prime minister also accused Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, the chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence, of being involved in conspiring against his government.

    PAKISTAN DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT:

    Nine major opposition parties formed a joint platform called the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) last month to begin a nationwide agitation against the government.

    Nawaz, whose Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is the main opposition party, was sacked by the Supreme Court in 2017 on corruption charges and left for London last November for medical treatment.

    He blames generals and judges for what he says were trumped up charges. The military, however, denies meddling in politics.

    Maryam Nawaz, the daughter and political heir of Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the son of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto who heads her Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), also addressed the gathering. Both criticised the Khan government for what they called bad governance and mismanagement of the economy.

    Speakers at the gathering called for Khan’s resignation and an end to military’s interference in politics.

    The next general election is scheduled for 2023.

    “Go Imran go. Your time is up!” shouted tens of thousands of the opposition supporters gathered at the Gujranwala stadium.

    Imran, who came to power on an anti-graft platform and denies the army helped him win, said on Friday he wasn’t afraid of the opposition’s campaign, which was aimed at blackmailing him to drop corruption cases against their leaders.

    The protest campaign comes at a time when Pakistan is experiencing an economic crisis, with inflation touching double digits and negative growth.