PTI’s Narrative Serving Hostile Forces, Warns DG ISPR

News Desk 

Islamabad: Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, on Friday strongly criticised Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) narrative-based campaign against the military, terming it a direct threat to national security.

Addressing a press conference, he said PTI’s anti-army rhetoric was being echoed by foreign media outlets, including those from countries whose forces, he noted, had “suffered defeat at the hands of the Pakistan Army.” 

He also presented several anti-army reports repeatedly aired on Indian television channels, describing them as evidence of a targeted effort to malign Pakistan’s armed forces.

Lt Gen Chaudhry said PTI’s narrative relied on sensationalism, disinformation and a systematic distortion of facts, amplified by influencers aligned with the party and boosted by Indian and Afghan social media ecosystems. “Under which law, rule or constitutional provision can this be permitted?” he asked, calling the trend a “creeping national security threat” that must be countered.

He criticised the party for prioritising attacks on state institutions over public welfare, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where PTI has governed for more than a decade despite persistent challenges in education, health, security and economic management.

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Referring to a “mentally sick” individual currently in jail, he alleged that the person continued to place personal agenda above national interest. “No one is above Pakistan,” he stressed, adding that attempts to undermine the country’s integrity would not be tolerated.

The DG ISPR warned against coordinated efforts to create distrust between the people and the armed forces, saying such designs threatened national unity. The military, he emphasised, represents citizens from all provinces, regions, ethnicities and faiths. “Any attack on the institution is an attack on national cohesion,” he said.

Highlighting the strategic role of the armed forces, he said Pakistan’s military stands as a shield against both external and internal threats. 

“It is the armed forces that stand between the people of Pakistan and the Hindutva-driven hegemonic designs of India. These same forces stand between the nation and the khawarij — terrorists, the Fitna al-Khawarij, and the Fitna al-Hindustan operating from Afghanistan,” he remarked.

Expanding on what he termed PTI’s “anti-state agenda,” the DG ISPR linked certain support networks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to illegal activities, including narcotics trafficking, abductions, extortion and the use of non-custom-paid vehicles. 

He cautioned that hostile foreign elements were exploiting PTI’s narrative to malign Pakistan internationally, warning that any such collaboration — intentional or otherwise — served the interests of adversaries.

He reiterated that the Pakistan Army would continue to safeguard the country and counter all forms of propaganda, misinformation and attempts to destabilise the state.

Earlier in the briefing, Lt Gen Chaudhry congratulated the nation on the appointment of the Chief of Defense Forces (CDF), who has assumed charge. He said the creation of the post was essential in the current era of complex warfare, requiring coordinated operations across land, air, naval and cyber domains. 

He termed the step — taken on Parliament’s instructions — a significant milestone in strengthening Pakistan’s defence structure, noting that many countries already operate under similar joint command systems.