Reacting to the Pakistan Army media wing spokesperson’s press conference, Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique on Thursday said that his statement regarding the army was taken out of context by the media.
“The statement [of the minister] is very irresponsible and unwarranted as you are targeting the chain of command and the subordination system of the Pakistan Army,” said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor in a presser earlier in the day.
The ISPR spokesperson was referring to a statement of the minister, wherein Rafique implied that there were some elements in the army who were “involved in damaging the institutional cohesiveness”, in an apparent reference to the subordinates of the “democratic” army chief.
Gen Ghafoor had said, “Pakistan Army is an institution which takes pride in its institutional mechanism.”
Clarifying his earlier remarks, the federal minister stated that it was not appropriate that out of a 27-minute long speech only a few words were picked and played upon while adding that he never adopted an irresponsible or unconstitutional stance.
He acknowledged the DG of the ISPR of being a positive man, saying that his response brought disappointment. Rafique said that the media should not only discuss the matter but also show the entire speech. If we have complaints, we either absorb them or discreetly inform the relevant authority, said Rafique.
Elaborating further, the PML-N leader said those creating misunderstandings between state institutions are doing a disservice to the nation.