ISLAMABAD: The army has once again denied that it is backing the anti-government protests in the federal capital that have crippled the administration’s functioning for a month now.

“Army is not linked to the ongoing political activity,” Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations Maj Gen Asim Bajwa said at a press briefing. He decried the repeated reference to army as the “scriptwriter”.

“It’s hurting to hear when Army is accused of being the scriptwriter,” he said.

The media briefing was specially arranged for announcing the arrest of people who had attacked Malala Yousufzai.

The statement made by the military’s spokesperson in response to a question came soon after the US Ambassador Richard Olson had met Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif. The ISPR confirmed the meeting and termed it a routine interaction.

The United States on more than one occasion has warned against military intervention in Pakistan and said that such a move would trigger sanctions from it.

Warnings from the US came against the backdrop of the protests by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek.

The protests by the two parties will complete their first month on Saturday.

Critics of the two parties accuse them of enjoying military’s tacit support in their sit-ins.

Maj Gen Bajwa reminded that the army had time and gain reaffirmed its support to continuation of democratic process in the country.

He particularly referred to a statement of the army chief on the Yaum-i-Shauhada on April 30 which came at the height of civil-military tensions earlier this year. Gen Sharif had then said: “Armed forces of Pakistan believe in the continuity of democracy and upholding of Constitution and law. This is the only way the country can make its way into the ranks of developed countries.”

The ISPR director general said that “the speculations about army’s support for the political activity are regrettable”.

Rejecting a media report claiming that some of the corps commanders had pressed for military intervention, he said the army was a united and a cohesive force that staunchly followed its chief.

Maj Gen Bajwa said: “Those understanding the Army’s structure and working cannot imagine this.”

“Everyone is allowed to discuss their opinions in a free and frank manner but the army chief’s decision is considered final and troops follow his lead,” he added.

The story carried by Reuters news agency had claimed that “Weeks of mounting anti-government protests in Pakistan had been enough to convince five of the powerful army’s 11 Corps Commanders that it was time for them to step in and force embattled Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign. … But army chief Raheel Sharif decided the time was not right to overthrow the civilian leadership, and moved to quell any disagreement in his ranks by overruling the hawks.”

Talking about the role accepted by the army chief for facilitating the negotiations between the government and the two protesting parties, Maj Gen Bajwa said it was done in “the larger national interest”.

The earlier military statement that the government had asked the army chief to facilitate the dialogue put Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a tight spot.

Responding to criticism about army not stopping the protesters storming the headquarters of the state-run PTV, the ISPR director general said PTV was not among the five buildings whose security had been initially entrusted to the army.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2014