Inter-Services Director-General Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar has finally spoken out on Thursday about the National Security Council meeting which discussed the cable about an alleged US-backed conspiracy against the then Imran Khan government, at a briefing on Thursday. He restricted himself to pointing out that the meeting’s press release had not used the word ‘conspiracy’. He added that demarches were issued for reasons other than conspiracy, and in this case for undiplomatic language. This is a contradiction of Mr Khan’s narrative, which claims that he was thrown out because of a foreign conspiracy. The NSC meeting was given great weight by PTI supporters who said it proved the armed forces accepted there was a conspiracy afoot. The opposition, now the government, had demanded that the armed forces, whose chiefs were all present at the meeting, make their position clear. Even now that it has taken office, it has also made it clear that it would like to probe the matter further, through a parliamentary committee.
Mr Khan’s rhetoric about the letter may need some dialling down now, and the online smear campaign, of which the formation commanders’ conference had to take notice, is evidence that things might be getting out of hand. Mr Khan’s implication is that those who do not support him are part of the conspiracy. This does not just make the opposition traitors, but by default also the armed forces. While both the PPP and the PML(N) have had their grievances against the armed forces, they have never gone to the extent of accusing them of a lack of patriotism.
It was also heartening to hear General Babar say that the military was neutral in politics. That neutrality will have to be firmly maintained, especially considering the past. The loudness of the complaints from the PTI over the conspiracy theory show one of the dangers of refusing to interfere after having done so. Those who have learned to rely on help, are resentful. However, the constitutional path is not just right, but also the least troublesome.
