Planned attempts against Pak Army have been seen from few elements. The propaganda machines are running at their peak and spread false and baseless allegations against Pak Army. PTI Leadership and its few workers are among the top that have raised their guns towards Pak Army. These evil elements miss no chance to defame the armed forces of Pakistan.
Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan has escalated his criticism of the country’s army, accusing the head of the army of harboring a “personal grudge” against him and ordering his arrest and a crackdown on his party. “It is personal. It’s got nothing to do with national interest,” Khan told the Guardian in an interview at his home in Lahore, after a dramatic week in which he was arrested at Islamabad’s high court and held in police custody, in connection with a land corruption case. “Without any doubt, the military is behind my arrest,” he said. “Pakistan is now being run by the army chief. The crackdown on us is by the army chief.”
This is not the first time when khan blamed Pak Army. In Past, Imran Khan accused Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, and Major General Faisal for the attack at his rally in Wazirabad. Imran Khan received bullet injuries in his legs after two men opened gunfire during his long march. “A short while ago, Imran Khan told us to issue this statement on his behalf. He believes there are three people on whose behest this was done-Shehbaz Sharif, Rana Sanaullah and Major General Faisal. He said he was receiving information and is saying this on that basis,” PTI’s Asad Umar & Mian Aslam Iqbal said soon after this attack.
Imran Khan has been putting baseless and false allegations on Army and its Officers without any proves and has been allegedly using the PTI workers as human shield. He is just making an anti-army narrative for his political interests and is playing with the emotions of his party workers.
Then there is another wave of propaganda where multiple social media posts claim that the Germany-based Transparency International, a global civil society organization dedicated to tackling corruption, has ranked the Pakistan army as the most corrupt institution in the country. An image that is being shared online on Facebook and Twitter has been captioned: “Pak army tops the list of most corrupt institutions of Pakistan: Transparency International.” Several Twitter users also shared the image, with similar claims. The Karachi-based Transparency International Pakistan, a local chapter of the Transparency International, issued a press release on February 15 clarifying that it has not released any such report or findings. “Transparency International (TI) Pakistan categorically rejects such propaganda and disinformation,” the statement reads, “It clarifies that no such report has been released by Transparency International and/or TI Pakistan.” Despite the TI Pakistan’s clarification, online posts have continued to share the false image. In fact, in the Transparency International Pakistan’s annual National Corruption Perception Survey 2022, which was released on December 9, majority of the respondents voted police as the most corrupt sector in the country, followed by government contracts and judiciary. The Pakistan army was not listed as an option. While in its 2021 National Corruption Perception Survey, released on December 8 that year, the police was again voted as the most corrupt sector, followed by the judiciary. Again the Pakistani military was not listed as an option for the respondents. Neither the Transparency International nor the Transparency International Pakistan has released any report which ranks the Pakistan army as the most corrupt institution in the country. Again, the possibility of the connection of PTI elements needs to be investigated behind this false propaganda.
In Fact Pak Army has a strict and organized check & balance system which fully eliminates the chances of corruption or leakages. According to the website, Military Accounts Department is an attached Department of Ministry of Defense. As a sequel to transfer of Indian Administration from East India Company to the British Crown in 1858, an Imperial Military Accounts Department was organized in 1861. Since then the department has been operating as paying authority for the Armed Forces. Main Functions Of this department are: Maintenance of Accounts of Defense Services, Payment of Pay & Allowances to Commissioned Officers, JCOs / ORs and civilians paid from Defense Services Estimates, Audit and Payment of Stores indigenous and imported, Audit and Payment relating to the Works of Defense Services, Internal Audit, Compilation of Defense Services receipts / Expenditures, Preparation of Appropriation Accounts, Payment of Railway and PIA Claims relating to the Defense Side. The P.M.A.D is performing dual duties i.e. accounting as well as internal auditing. The quality of P.M.A.D’s functioning is judged through various reports submitted on fortnightly/monthly/quarterly/half yearly and yearly basis. The reports are prepared at sub office level and submitted to the Controller Office for scrutiny and consolidation. These reports are then submitted by the Controller to the M.A.G and then in certain cases sent to the Ministry of Defense. The accuracy and correctness of these reports is judged through inspection of sub-offices as well as by cross checking with reference to the reports submitted by Services Headquarters to the Ministry of Defense as the working of the Department is monitored by the Ministry of Defense. No other Accounts Department faces the channels of accountability like the P.M.A.D. The M.A.G’s accountability is a threefold activity. The principal accountability/activity is done by the Ministry of Defense through financial reporting. The accountability activity is also done by the Defense Audit Department on behalf of the Auditor General. Although financial audit is the basis yet the work of Defense Audit Department encompasses the entire ambit of the P.M.A.D. Audit Reports, Advance Paras, Draft Paras and discussions etc. are the major tools of accountability by the Defense Audit. Other activity is done by the Services Headquarters, as they have their own scientific sources of information which remain on task to watch the functioning of the P.M.A.D. Where required, the P.M.A.D’s working, activities, decisions, policies are reported to the Ministry of Defense either directly or through J.S. Headquarters. Annual inspection of all CsMA is carried out by inspection parties of Dy. M.A.G. In order to check the efficiency and working of CsMA office, yearly inspection is carried out by the teams deputed by the M.A.G and CMAs are bound to ensure the rectification of errors pointed out in the Inspection Reports. The reports are discussed with the CMAs and irregularities are corrected. In addition to above complaint and guidance Cell is working in the M.A.G office, as it is open to everybody to write his grievances directly to the M.A.G. The complaints so received are attended on priority and the remedial action is taken. The internal audit of all Units/formations is carried out by the CLA (DS) through LAOs working at the station. All cash and store accounts are audited by the LAOs. The audit of numerical store/cash accounts is generally carried out to the extent prescribed from time to time by the M.A.G. If during the visit to a Unit/Formation, difficulty is experienced in obtaining full and fair access to any essential account or record in obtaining any important explanation etc., the LAO reports full facts of the case to the CLA(DS); M.A.G to extend the scope of audit. The audit of all Units/Formations is carried out on half yearly basis. Besides general scrutiny of the accounts for the entire period one month in a half year period is selected for detailed audit.
Readers, Pak Army recruitment system is fully transparent and merit based. Recruitment is being done from across Pakistan including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. The recruitment in Pakistan Army for the officer cadre and other ranks is done through a selection system which includes physical, academic and mental tests. After getting tough training at PMA and regimental centers, all ranks are sent to units to face the real action.
Then, these elements spread false propaganda about gap and differences between juniors and seniors of armed forces. According to Masud Ahmed Khan, the question is; why would someone sacrifice their life—the simple reasons are faith, love for their country, discipline and esprit de corps. The word discipline comes from the Latin word disciplina, meaning teaching and training, derived from the word discere, to learn. It is a way of life taught at the PMA which improves conduct of an individual by training, leadership and obedience of orders at all times in letter and spirit, cheerfully. The objective of discipline in the Pakistan Army is to produce quality soldiers who are upright and stand by their subordinates and follow the instructions of their superiors during trying conditions at the cost of life. Today, the difference of opinion is never regarded as an act of disobedience and often officers are encouraged to express their opinion and ask questions from senior officers including the COAS. All ranks fight for the honour and safety of Pakistan. Today, the casualty ratio of officers, especially young officers, is much higher and the role of junior officers has assumed greater importance. They lead from the front; therefore the risk of being killed is greater than their men. During training, all ranks at PMA and regimental centers take pride in the profession and display a high degree of esprit de corps and a high standard of discipline which is evident from the standard of passing out parades.
Readers, it is not good at all to see this false propaganda against our defenders. The sequence and timings of these continuous attempts and their possible link with any specific group, party or sect needs to be thoroughly investigated. No one should be allowed to defame and spread false propaganda against Pak Army. It’s time to take solid action against such malicious actions.