Pak Army Chief Says Military 'Well Aware' Of Its Limits, Expects Others To Uphold Constitution

Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir on Thursday said the military was “well aware” of its constitutional limits and expected others to uphold the Constitution, amid allegations of the powerful army’s involvement in politics and interference by the intelligence agencies in the working of the judiciary.

The general, who was the chief guest at a passing out parade, said that those who flout the clear restrictions imposed on freedom of expression in the Constitution cannot point fingers at others. “We are well aware of our constitutional limits and expect others to uphold the Constitution,” Gen Munir said while addressing the Pakistan Air Force’s passing out parade at the Asghar Khan Academy in Risalpur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Article 19 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan clearly defines the limits of freedom of speech and expression of opinion,” he said. His remarks came two days after Pakistan’s Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa said that pushing the judiciary towards taking a certain action was akin to interference in the judicial process.

The top judge was referring to a letter written by six Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges on March 25, alleging interference of agencies in their matters. The apex court took suo motu notice of the letter and later several bar councils also filed petitions and they were made parties to the case. The powerful army, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 75-plus years of existence, has hitherto wielded considerable power in matters of security and foreign policy. However, the military has denied meddling in the country’s politics.

Gen Munir lauded the PAF for patrolling the airspace in all kinds of difficulties, terming the shooting down of an Indian fighter jet in February 2019 as a great example of the same. “You are the centre of our hopes, the guardian of the skies and the guarantors of regional unity,” the army chief told the cadets.

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman shot down the Pakistani F-16 jet during an aerial combat before his MiG 21 Bison aircraft was hit on February 27, 2019. He was captured by the Pakistani Army and later released on the night of March 1. Without naming any country, Gen Munir highlighted that the arms race posed a risk of disturbing the region’s balance of power.

“Specific technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics and quantum computing, are changing the use of air power as well as expanding its scope,” he noted. Gen Munir also pledged Pakistan’s “moral, political and diplomatic support” to the Kashmiri people.