Gen. Munir: Pakistan to stay away from bloc politics

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): The Pakistan army chief says his country will remain neutral in global conflicts, stay away from bloc politics and continue to play its role in fostering regional and international peace.

Gen. Asim Munir spoke on a a number of topics, including Afghanistan, at the Margalla Dialogue, hosted by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute on Friday.

Gen Munir underlined Pakistan’s expectation that the caretaker government in Kabul would not allow the use of Afghan territory for terrorist activities.

For its part, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has repeatedly emphasised its desire for cordial relations with the world, pledging to prevent the use of Afghan soil against any country.

Few days ago, Mullah Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for IEA, said: “Pakistan should not place its responsibilities on our shoulders, and it should find solution to its problems within the country.”

“A comprehensive border management regime has been established to secure our western frontier,” the chief of army staff added.

Lamenting Israeli aggression in Palestine and other countries, he demanded immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.

Pakistan had sent multiple consignments of humanitarian assistance to Gaza and Lebanon, he said, adding Islamabad had always emphasised on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

On the issue of fake news, he said: “While technology has played a pivotal role in the dissemination of information, the spread of misleading and incorrect information has become a significant challenge.”

In the absence of effective laws and regulations, Gen. Munir warned, false and misleading information, along with hate speech, would continue to destabilise political and social structures.

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