ISLAMABAD: Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Wednesday that military had brought stability by failing all inimical forces operating against Pakistan as he visited Special Services Group’s headquarters in Tarbela.

Since former dictator Gen Pervez Musharraf belonged to SSG, Gen Bajwa’s visit to Tarbela was immediately seen by onlookers as an expression of solidarity with him.

The visit took place a day after a special court handed down death sentence to Gen Musharraf for suspending the country’s Constitution on Nov 3, 2007.

During the visit, Gen Bajwa was accompanied by Director General of Military Operations Maj Gen Nauman Zakria, Director General of Military Intelligence Maj Gen Sarfraz Ali and Director General of ISPR Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor.

A day after Musharraf got death sentence, Bajwa visits SSG headquarters, the unit the ex-dictator belonged to

General Officer Commanding of SSG Maj Gen Mumtaz Hussain was also present on this occasion.

“The SSG is our pride with myriad contributions towards defence of the country through its valiant officers and soldiers since creation of Pakistan,” the army chief said, according to a tweet by military spokesman Maj Gen Ghafoor.

The comments closely echoed a statement issued by the ISPR on Tuesday after a special meeting of commanders in the aftermath of the tribunal’s verdict against Gen Musharraf.

The ISPR had then said: “An ex-Army Chief, Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee and President of Pakistan, who has served the country for over 40 years, fought wars for defence of the country can surely never be a traitor.”

The ISPR statement had voiced “the pain and anguish” within the “rank and file of Pakistan armed forces” over the verdict. The statement had further alleged that due legal process had been ignored and the case was concluded in haste.

The visit was, moreover, reminiscent of former Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif’s visit to the home of SSG commandos in April 2014, a week after Gen Musharraf was indicted by the Special Court on five counts of high treason.

Gen Sharif had then said: “Pakistan Army upholds the sanctity of all institutions and will resolutely preserve its own dignity and institutional pride.” Gen Sharif’s comments were also then taken as an expression of discomfort within the army over the trial.

The then army chief had reminded about the multiple internal and external challenges facing the country.

Gen Bajwa too in his comments in Tarbela recalled the contribution of the army in the fight against terrorism and vowed not to allow the reversal of the gains.

“We have brought stability by failing all inimical forces operating against Pakistan,” he said.

Although the entire army participated in the fight against terrorism, the SSG is said to have played a major part in it.

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2019