ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan urged retired military officials on Wednesday to be careful in issuing statements and said that people privy to important national decisions should exercise restraint.

Stressing the importance of maintaining confidentiality, the minister said in a statement that a slight slip of tongue could play havoc in this media age. He said that exercising discretion was in the interest of the country because unity was important at this critical juncture.

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Former DG ISPR Maj Gen (r) Athar Abbas says he made his remarks in response to a question

The minister also asked the media to avoid making recent remarks of a former military spokesman a topic of discussions.

Meanwhile, former director general of Inter-Services Public Relations, retired Maj Gen Athar Abbas, said he had made his remarks about military operation in response to a question. Speaking at a seminar, he was optimistic that major cities would be ‘cleared’ of militants in a month.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2014