Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Thursday clarified that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir has not given any interview to any journalist.

He described journalist Sohail Warraich’s article as “inappropriate,” terming it an act of self-promotion and personal gain.

Speaking to reporters, the DG ISPR said the article, now widely discussed, was based on an event in Brussels where hundreds of people took photographs.

“Neither PTI nor any apology came under discussion,” he said.

Lt Gen Chaudhry reiterated that those responsible for the May 9 incidents must be brought to justice under the law.

Expressing regret, he said that even a senior journalist had demonstrated such irresponsibility.

Highlighting Pakistan’s resilience, he said the country has the potential to change the destiny of the entire region, which is why it continues to face repeated attacks.

He urged the youth to understand their strength and the legacy of their ideological state, adding, “The day they realise their power, no extremist or proxy will be able to frighten them.”

He recounted how some believed that India, with its military machine worth billions of dollars, would easily defeat Pakistan.

There were even suggestions that India and its proxies — including Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna Hindustan — should attack Pakistan simultaneously.

However, he said, the entire world witnessed how Pakistan faced the enemy on both fronts.

Pakistan and its armed forces gave a “befitting response” to India and its proxies, he asserted.

Turning to internal security, Lt Gen Chaudhry said the 2014 political consensus to dismantle the “illegal spectrum” and eliminate terrorism has yet to be fully implemented.

“When illegal Afghan residents involved in crimes are to be deported, certain political and criminal elements within our own country begin to create problems,” he noted.

He stressed the need to implement all 14 points of the National Action Plan in letter and spirit.

Governance gaps, he said, are being filled daily by the sacrifices of military, police, and law enforcement personnel.