RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society (PESS) on Saturday strongly condemned the propaganda against the armed forces on social media and demanded the government to take strict action against those involved in it by tracking their social media accounts.

Speaking at a press conference at the Rawalpindi Press Club, PESS President retired Lt Gen Abdul Qayyum said the armed forces of Pakistan had sacrificed at every front and in every era.

“Some elements are promoting an external agenda to bring the army in front of the people, whose dismissal is very important,” he said, adding that elections should be held according to the schedule to continue the democratic process in the country.

Accompanied by the vice president, Vice Admiral Abdul Aleem, Brigadier Zulfiqar Ahmad Shaheen, Joint Secretary retired Col M. Tariq Kamal and Media Coordinator Aziz Ahmed Awan, the PESS president said the society strongly condemned the terrorist attacks against the security forces.

“As many as 83 attacks were carried out in the last year, in which 500 civilians, 265 soldiers and 185 police personnel were martyred. Apart from Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Tehreek-i-Jihad Pakistan (TJP) and the Islamic State of Khorasan, organisations like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) were involved in Balochistan,” Lt Gen Abdul Qayyum said.

He said the society was registered as an NGO in 1991 for the welfare of retired pensioners and the families of martyrs, adding that in the last few months, the society officials visited several places, including Lahore, Karachi and Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir, and conveyed the problems of the widows and families of martyrs to the relevant institutions.

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2024