WASHINGTON – At a gathering, Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa dispelled the notion that the Pakistani establishment was mistreating journalists or restricting press freedom in the country.
On the final day of his nearly week-long visit to the US, the army chief spoke to members of the Washington-based think tank community at a special event held at the Pakistani ambassador’s residence on Wednesday.
Responding to a question during the event, the army chief insisted that there were no restrictions on press freedom in Pakistan and that the country’s “establishment was not involved” in any untoward incident.
According to one of the attendees, who requested anonymity due to Chatham House rules, Gen Bajwa impressed his American audience with his “surprisingly candid” remarks. There were about a dozen people in attendance.
“Everything was discussed,” said another attendee, without revealing what was discussed at the gathering. “The army chief said a lot of things that surprised us in a good way,” one of the attendees said. According to another participant, the army chief “spoke his mind” and was not “putting on a show” to please the audience.
One participant mentioned the army chief’s “balancing act” when discussing domestic politics. Other sources familiar with the event told The News that the army chief discussed bilateral relations between the United States and Pakistan, emphasising that the two “strategic partners” should strengthen trade and economic ties. He was also worried about the country’s economic situation.
Gen. Bajwa recognised that Pakistan was no longer hyphenated with any other country, and that its relations with other countries stood on their own. He stated that Pakistan desired good and independent relations with all countries, including the United States and China.
The Kashmir issue was raised during the session, and the army chief stated that while Pakistan always wanted a resolution as soon as possible so that both countries could have better neighbourly relations, the Modi government’s August 2019 decision changed the situation.
The army chief also suggested that the international community engage in some way with the Taliban in Afghanistan. He emphasised that in order to address the challenges, all stakeholders must collaborate.
