Criticism on Pakistan army by opposition similar to Indian propaganda: PM Imran Khan
Pakistan PM Imran Khan on Saturday likened the language used by opposition parties to alleged Indian propaganda aimed at discrediting his country. Addressing an event in Chakwal, the Khan said, "The way the political opposition of Pakistan has attacked the Pakistan Army, this has never happened before in our history."
He said former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf was also criticised but he was the country's leader as well as the army chief, "so yes of course he was criticised". "But the sort of language that is being used for the army today is the kind that India's propaganda machine uses against the army," the Dawn reported.
On a recent report by the Brussels-based EU DisinfoLab regarding an alleged Indian disinformation network operating since 2005 to discredit nations in conflict with Delhi, particularly Pakistan, the PM said: "The purpose of this was to present Pakistan in a negative light in front of the world and to portray that there is chaos so that no one invests in the country."
"The Pakistan Army was also targeted. India wants the army to be portrayed as a rogue army and as terrorists," the Dawn quoted Imran Khan as saying, while claiming it was also discovered that the fake sites unearthed in the investigation were promoting the Pakistan Democratic Movement, an anti-government alliance of 11 political parties.
Referring to phrases like "Prime Minister-select, selected Prime Minister and selected government" that were being used by the opposition for him and the government, the PM said they were essentially accusing the army of rigging polls and ensuring the government and PM were "selected" rather than elected.
"So then, did you go to the Election Commission, the Supreme Court, the Parliament?" he asked while dismissing the claims by the opposition that the country’s security establishment played its part in rigging the 2018 general elections.
The prime minister said that the "whole nation knew" that the leaders of opposition parties had looted the country for the past 30 years.
