‘How long can it be ignored?’: Tallal Chaudhry says PTI’s rhetoric pushed army to respond

Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry said on Monday that the PTI’s “unjustified” criticism of the army had pushed the institution to respond.

In remarks aired on the media, he also accused the opposition party of repeatedly criticising the army and its leadership for its own political gains.

Referring to arguments by the PTI that the army should not interfere in politics, Chaudhry said, “The army is not intervening in politics. You, in order to further your own politics or to come into power by riding on someone else’s shoulders, repeatedly try to drag the army and its head into politics.

“You direct unjustified and unnecessary criticism [at them]. You level allegations without any reason,” he said.

He said the army had been serving the country and recalled that it defeated a “big power in the world” recently — an apparent reference to the conflict between Pakistan and India in May.

The state minister further said that the army took pride in its martyrs, victories and in protecting Pakistan, “and you criticise it and its head for no reason”.

“For how long will the institution remain silent? Eventually, it had to respond. The PTI pushed them to respond,” he added.

“The army and its head showed patience and overlooked [the criticism] for a very long time. But every other day, the PTI founder in his tweets and messages, and others in press conferences after meeting Imran, would make unjustified accusations and criticise.”

The state minister also alleged that the PTI never criticised India’s aggression or condemned terrorists.

“Having a soft spot for those terrorists […] and directing all criticism toward Pakistan’s institutions, Pakistan’s army and its head, warrants an answer,” he asserted.“How long can it be ignored, how long can it be overlooked?”

He further stated that the government had invited the PTI to Parliament for talks multiple times. “But we are now embarrassed to have invited these types of people for talks, those who are not worthy of it.”

Chaudhry went on to allege that Imran “came into power by riding on someone else’s shoulders”. He further said that after that only a “mentally ill patient” would consider himself a “know-it-all” and “necessary” for the country. He further alleged that Imran had come into power in 2018 with the support of the military establishment.

“And since no one is supporting you today, you are levelling criticism in an effort to blackmail the army […] so that you can compel them into supporting your rise to power again,” Chaudhry alleged.

The state minister also questioned the PTI’s performance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the last 13 years.

“Why will the people vote for you? Why will they bring you into power again? Those who couldn’t win the by-election in Haripur, how will they succeed in polls in Lahore, Faisalabad or the rest of Pakistan?

“It is because of this that you are taking out your anger and criticising one institution and its head. This will not be tolerated now,” Chaudhry added.

The state minister warned that those raising their voice against Pakistan, its institutions and their heads would now be silenced.

“Come put on a show outside Adiala (jail), and you will be told how the law is implemented,” he said, seemingly referring to PTI’s protests outside the prison for Imran’s visitation rights.

“It cannot be that you disturb peace […], speak the language of our enemy after meeting [with Imran at the jail], and it is all tolerated.”

He further warned that in case such a scene was created outside Adiala jail, “the prisoners in the jail would have to be shifted to a place where they can stay safe”.

The minister also alleged that the KP chief minister was changed in October because the previous one, Ali Amin Gandapur, had refused to obey Imran’s directives.

He also alleged that the new CM and the KP government were being used for efforts for a “jailbreak and riots” so that Imran could “escape his punishment”.

“This will not happen now. KP’s resources will be used for KP,” he said. He further said that a Peshawar High Court order, as well as the law and Constitution, stated that “you cannot use your resources for your politics”.

He ended his talk with a warning that the response to the PTI would now match the party’s actions. “And it is clear now that nothing that will be a source of anarchy in Pakistan will be tolerated. It will not be tolerated that unjustified criticism is directed toward institutions.”

The minister’s censure is the latest in a string of admonishments directed toward the PTI from the country’s politicians, who have been rallying behind the armed forces after a fiery press conference by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaurdhry on December 5.

The press conference, where the army spokesperson assailed incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan for creating and spreading an “anti-army” rhetoric, followed the former prime minister’s latest outburst against the military leadership, delivered last week through his sister Uzma Khan during a jail visit after weeks of restricted access.