PanamaTimes

Sunday, Jul 06, 2025

"We Believe In Democracy": Pak Army Denies Imposing Martial Law In Country

"We Believe In Democracy": Pak Army Denies Imposing Martial Law In Country

This comes after an almost four-day political turmoil erupted due to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan's arrest, in which army's installations were also targeted.
Amid reports of disunity among the ranks of the Pakistan army, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Maj-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Friday refuted allegations of imposition of martial law in the country, reported Geo News.

"I want to say very clearly that General Asim Munir and the army's leadership wholeheartedly support democracy and will continue to do so. The imposition of martial law is out of the question," said Chaudhry.

This comes after an almost four-day political turmoil erupted due to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan's arrest, in which army's installations were also targeted, reported Geo News.

"The army chief and the army's senior leadership completely believe in democracy," the military's top spokesperson said.

There are reports coming in from Pakistan that several Brigadier, Colonel and Major level officers of the Pakistan Army have been sacked because they refused to open fire at PTI protestors and Imran Khan supporters.

Meanwhile, in a video, Imran launched a direct attack on Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir and blamed him for creating chaos in the country.

"I am not against the institution but today the Pakistan Army is getting maligned because of one man - The Pakistan Army Chief," said Imran.

He criticised the military while his supporters raised the stakes by attacking military targets -- torching the residence of the corps commander in Lahore and attacking the entrance to the army's headquarters in Rawalpindi, reported Geo News.

In response to the reports which were circulating that army officers have resigned due to the ongoing chaos, the spokesperson snubbed these speculations as well.

"Despite all-out efforts of internal miscreants and external enemies, the army remains united under Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir," Maj Gen Chaudhry said.

"The dreams of creating division within the army will remain dreams. Neither anyone has resigned nor disobeyed any order," the army's spokesperson added.

Violent protests took place following Khan's arrest, in which nearly a dozen people were killed and several injured. The law enforcement agencies then began a crackdown on PTI, arresting scores of workers and top leaders.

After the supporters attacked army installations, the ISPR said that May 9, 2023 -- the day when chaos gripped the nation following Khan's arrest -- would go down in history as a "dark chapter," reported Geo News.

The ISPR called the PTI leaders "hypocrites" for inciting their workers against the armed forces on the one hand, and praising the military -- in a bid to overshadow their criticism -- on the other.

The unrest in the country has come to a halt for now as the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has provided blanket relief to Khan and barred authorities from arresting the PTI chief till Monday morning (May 15), after which, the government said it could arrest him, "if need be".

In response to Khan's fresh salvo against the army chief, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the PTI chairman's latest statement against Gen Munir depicted his "cheap mentality" towards the armed forces, reported Geo News.

"His statement proves that he is the mastermind of May 9 events," the premier said in a statement, criticising Khan's "baseless" allegations against a senior army official for planning to have him assassinated.
Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Brazilian Congress Rejects Lula's Proposed Tax Increase on Financial Transactions
Landslide in Bello, Colombia, Results in Multiple Casualties
Papa Johns pizza surge near the Pentagon tipped off social media before Trump's decisive Iran strike
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Sole Survivor of Air India Crash Recounts Escape
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
UK and EU Reach Agreement on Gibraltar's Schengen Integration
Israeli Finance Minister Imposes Banking Penalties on Palestinians
U.S. Inflation Rises to 2.4% in May Amid Trade Tensions
Trump's Policies Prompt Decline in Chinese Student Enrollment in U.S.
Global Oceans Near Record Temperatures as CO₂ Levels Climb
Trump Announces U.S.-China Trade Deal Covering Rare Earths
Smuggled U.S. Fuel Funds Mexican Cartels Amid Crackdown
Protests Erupt in Los Angeles with Symbolic Flag Burning
Trump Administration Issues New Travel Ban Targeting 12 Countries
Man Group Mandates Full-Time Office Return for Quantitative Analysts
JPMorgan Warns Analysts Against Accepting Future-Dated Job Offers
Builder.ai Faces Legal Scrutiny Amid Financial Misreporting Allegations
Japan Grapples with Rice Shortage Amid Soaring Prices
Goldman Sachs Reduces Risk Exposure Amid Market Volatility
HSBC Chairman Mark Tucker to Return to AIA as Non-Executive Chair
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Judge Blocks Trump's Ban on International Students at Harvard
Trump Proposes Travel Ban on 'Uncontrolled' Countries
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Eurozone Inflation Falls Below ECB Target to 1.9%
Call for a New Chapter in Globalisation Emerges
Blackstone and Rivals Diverge on Private Equity Strategy
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Netanyahu Accuses Western Leaders of 'Emboldening Hamas'
Escalating Trade Tensions and Market Reactions
OnlyFans Reportedly in Talks for $8 Billion Sale
JBS Gains Shareholder Approval for U.S. Stock Listing
Booz Allen Hamilton to Cut 2,500 Jobs Amid Federal Spending Reductions
Trump Signs Executive Orders to Accelerate Nuclear Energy Development
Harvard Temporarily Blocks Trump Administration's International Student Ban
Nippon Steel Forms Partnership with U.S. Steel, Headquarters to Remain in Pittsburgh
Trump Expands Tariff Threats to Apple and Samsung Devices
Oracle and OpenAI Plan $40 Billion Nvidia Chip Purchase for AI Data Center
Trump Threatens 50% Tariff on EU Goods, Markets React
×