DG ISPR says NSC was told no conspiracy was unearthed

RAWALPINDI: Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Babar Iftikhar said no “conspiracy” was found during a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) held to review the “threat letter”.

In his interview with a private TV, the DG ISPR said the NSC meeting, attended by all three services chiefs, DG ISI and others were briefed on the cipher issued and the participants were told no ‘conspiracy’ was found in it.

“Participants were briefed there was no conspiracy nor any of proofs were found.”

He said the words ‘intervention’ and ‘conspiracy’ are used by the diplomats.

DG ISPR Major General Babar Iftikhar said propaganda campaign by some quarters to malign the Pakistan Army and create division between the military and society. No one would be allowed to distort the facts.

Pak-China ties

On the Pak-China ties, DG ISPR Major General Babar Iftikhar termed the recent visit of COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa important and said he is the first COAS who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

He said China always supported Pakistan in difficult situations as both the countries are enjoying strategic ties. He said work on the CPEC is underway at full pace and ruled out the impression of any delay.

The Pakistan Army spokesperson said the recent visit to COAS will bring durable results in near future.

No increase in defense budget

The DG ISPR said that whenever the budget is presented, the debate on the defense budget starts. The challenges and threats related to the defense budget should also be looked into, he went on to say.

The spokesman of the Pak Army said that look at India’s increasing defense budget which is always against Pakistan. Major General Babar Iftikhar said as compared to India’s 1.3 million troops, the number of the Pakistan Army is 0.55 million.

“Because of India, our 50,000 troops are stationed on the eastern border, 40 per cent of our forces are stationed on the western border and the rest in the cantonments. There has been no increase in the defense budget since 2020,” he said.

India lobbies to blacklist Pakistan

DG ISPR said that everyone knows what happened to put Pakistan on the FATF’s Gray List, India lobbied to get Pakistan blacklisted. He said with an aim to devise a strategy to counter terror financing and money laundering, a special cell was set up in GHQ in 2019.

The cell established mechanisms between more than 30 different departments, ministries and agencies after the day and night hard work, he maintained.

The spokesperson said that all the departments worked on the strategy and implemented 26 out of 27 points given by the FATF.