Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa dispelled the impression that Pakistan’s establishment was involved in the mistreatment of journalists or in curbing press freedom in the nation during a gathering.
The Pakistani ambassador’s home hosted a special event on Wednesday, the last day of the army chief’s a nearly seven-day tour to the US, where he addressed members of the Washington-area think tank community.
In response to a query during the occasion, the army commander insisted that Pakistan has unrestricted press freedom and that the nation’s “establishment was not involved” in any unfortunate episode that occurred in this regard.
Gen Bajwa impressed his American audience with his “surprisingly candid” remarks, according to one of the attendees who asked to remain anonymous since they had to follow the Chatham House rules.
Approximately a dozen people attended the event.
Without revealing the topics that were addressed at the meeting, another participant remarked, “Everything was discussed.” The participant said, “The army leader said a great many things that astonished us greatly, in a good way.”
A different participant asserted that the army leader “expressed his mind” and wasn’t “putting on a front” to appease the crowd.
A person who was speaking about domestic politics said that the army leader kept a “balancing act.”
Other people with knowledge of the situation informed the publication that the army chief spoke about bilateral relations between the US and Pakistan, emphasising the need for the two “strategic allies” to strengthen their economic and trade ties. He also expressed worry over the nation’s financial predicament.
The fact that Pakistan was no longer hyphenated with any other nation and its connections with foreign nations stood on their own was something Gen. Bajwa welcomed. According to him, Pakistan wants positive, independent relations with all nations, including the US and China.
A discussion of the Kashmir dispute came up during the meeting, and the army chief emphasised that, despite Pakistan’s long-standing desire for a speedy resolution so that both nations could enjoy better neighbourly ties, the situation has changed as a result of the Modi government’s decision from August 2019 to the Kashmir issue.
The army chief also advocated for some sort of interaction between the Taliban in Afghanistan and the outside world. He emphasised that in order to overcome the obstacles, all parties involved must cooperate.
Pavan Manzoor is an experienced content writer , editor and social media handler along with a track record of youth-oriented activities in Pakistan and abroad. She was selected as a fully-funded delegate as a leadership fellow in Turkey. She also led a team of 5 volunteers at the week-long Young Professionals Fellowship in Maldives. She is also a member of the Youth Standing Committee on Higher Education.
