Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry said that the current establishment is not apolitical but its influence in political activities has decreased under the new military leadership.
The difference between the two military leaderships, according to Fawad, who was speaking in an interview with a private TV network, is that the PTI members no longer receive nearly as many calls from unknown numbers as they did in the previous several months.
The PTI leader also regarded Parvez Elahi’s claim that the establishment opposes dissolving assemblies because it will exacerbate political and economic turmoil as an attempt to meddle in political affairs. He was adamant that politicians should handle such political issues.
The former information minister emphasized his point that the establishment is still politically active by citing the cases of party leaders Senator Azam Swati and Shahbaz Gill.
The PTI official asserted that the political role of the establishment never changes. In response to a question regarding former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa’s declaration that the military has decided for an institution to become apolitical, he stated that the establishment will not become apolitical based on a simple remark.
According to Fawad, the PTI wants to cooperate with the new establishment. He added that the army belongs to the entire nation and cannot, therefore, be linked with any one political party and that the establishment should have effective cooperation with all political parties.
He continued, “All political parties should have a positive perception of the institution, and for the same reason, the PTI likewise wishes to have a positive working relationship with the military.”
