National stability remains Pakistan’s supreme objective |
DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif’s most recent press conference was not the routine institutional communiqué many expected. Delivered with composure, clarity and a deep sense of national duty, it emerged as a thoughtful intervention in Pakistan’s fractured public discourse. At a moment when the country confronts political polarization, economic anxiety and relentless disinformation, his message was a timely reminder that national stability demands maturity, restraint and responsible communication. The briefing clarified institutional boundaries while framing a broader national context—a rare and essential balance in an environment where speculation often eclipses substance. General Sharif began by reiterating that the Pakistan Army operates strictly within its constitutional mandate, committed solely to safeguarding national security. Politics, he stressed, is neither the institution’s domain nor aspiration. In a political climate that frequently drags institutions into partisan crossfire, his clarity was both timely and necessary. Even the perception of turf wars, he noted, harms a state already navigating economic fragility and security pressures. Stability, he emphasized, requires all institutions to respect boundaries and perform their responsibilities without encroachment.
Addressing the political culture with candour, he stressed that democratic disagreements must never become campaigns of institutional vilification. Differences of opinion are intrinsic to democracy, but turning them into anti-institution narratives corrodes public trust and........