Former US ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad on Friday revealed that Pakistan chief of army staff General Asim Munir threatened the wives and children of his critics during a closed-door meeting held in Sialkot. Khalilzad said these comments were made during a speech made to senior army officers.
“A recent speech by the Army Chief has led me to believe that things are truly dire. His closed-door angry tirade to senior officers in Sialkot has been reliably shared with me,” Khalilzad said referring to the speech made earlier this week.
First, he threatened the wives and children of his critics. The May 9 violence was not a good thing and should be transparently investigated, but that is no excuse for threatening harm to innocent family members of retired officers who may have participated. (2/6)— Zalmay Khalilzad (@realZalmayMK) May 19, 2023
Khalilzad, in a series of tweets, said that Munir threatened the wives and children of his critics. The former envoy’s tweets signal that the Pakistan army chief was angered about possible involvement of “innocent family members of retired officers who may have participated” in the protests staged by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) demanding release of their leader and former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan.
“He threatened the wives and children of his critics. The May 9 violence was not a good thing and should be transparently investigated, but that is no excuse for threatening harm to innocent family members of retired officers who may have participated,” Khalizad said.
A report by CNN-News18 said that during the Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC) meeting on Tuesday the Pakistan Army arrived at a conclusion that the possible leakage of sensitive information regarding army installations and personnel could have been made by certain military personnel and ex-servicemen. Intelligence agencies were told to actively investigate the matter.
A separate report by CNN-News18 also revealed that the ‘Command of Pakistan’ is in trouble due to the ‘unprofessional’ approach taken by the team of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces (COAS) of Pakistan, General Asim Munir. Even lower-ranking soldiers and officers are calling for the institution to remain neutral.
May 9 has been declared a ‘black day’ by the military after PTI workers ransacked, set ablaze and vandalised army installations across Pakistan in retaliation to Imran Khan’s arrest.
Imran Khan was arrested on May 9 by the Pakistan National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for his alleged involvement in the Al-Qadir Trust case where he has been accused of whitewashing ill-gotten money.
He was in custody of law enforcement agencies until May 11 when the Supreme Court and the Islamabad High Court granted him relief until the second week of June and termed his arrest illegal.
Before his release, for the two days that Imran Khan was held, PTI workers took part in violent protests and targeted army installations and even set fire to the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar. More than half a dozen people died and several hundreds were injured as PTI cadres, ruling party supporters and police from Pakistan’s cities clashed.
Khalilzad’s comments come a day after COAS Munir announced that those involved in ransacking the military installations will face trial under the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secret Act.