- Khawaja Asif says parliament supreme organ of state
- Saad Rafiq says Musharraf brought disrepute to armed forces
While Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has reiterated the supremacy of the parliament, Federal Minister for Railways Khwaja Saad Rafiq has endorsed the statement of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif, calling for the preservation of Pakistan Army’s dignity.
The ministers’ remarks came a day after General Sharif’s statement in which he had said that the army will resolutely preserve its institutional pride and dignity. The COAS remarks had reportedly addressed soldiers’ concerns over “undue criticism of the army” in recent days.
Addressing the National Assembly on Tuesday, the defence minister said that the parliament was the supreme organ of the state and all other institutions were accountable to it.
MUSHARRAF HAS DEFAMED ARMY:
In the meanwhile, commenting on General Sharif’s statement, Saad Rafiq said that Musharraf had brought disrepute to the institution of army more than anyone else.
Rafique said that people who wanted to save former president Pervez Musharraf were linking his remarks with the ISPR’s statement.
The minister clarified that he had only criticised Musharraf’s negative role of acting against the constitution of the country and the armed forces. He repeatedly endorsed COAS’s statements for army’s respect and said that it was the responsibility of the entire nation to protect the prestige of the armed forces.
Saad said that Musharraf was a politician and the head of All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), whose party workers were playing “dirty games” to defame the army in a bid to save Musharraf.
Saad said that the government and armed forces were on the same page on every issue and this specific issue of Musharraf had no link whatsoever with the institution of army or the government. He added that the link of the government with Musharraf’s issue was limited to Exit Control List (ECL).