Imran praises ISI as first line of defence
During a visit to the headquarters of the country’s top spy agency, Prime Minister Imran Khan has termed the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) the best intelligence agency of the world and the country’s first line of defence.
The premier, accompanied by senior cabinet members, including the ministers of foreign affairs, defence, information and finance, was received by Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and ISI Director General Lieutenant General Naveed Mukhtar at the ISI head office in Islamabad.
This was Khan’s first visit to the spy agency’s headquarters since he became prime minister on August 18 following his party’s victory in the July 25 election.
Khan has already visited the army General Headquarters (GHQ ) twice first to get an indepth briefing on the internal security and geo-strategic situation and then to attend the Defence and Martyrs Day ceremony on September 6.
A statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the premier laid a floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada and offered Fateha.
“[The] PM was briefed in detail on various strategic intelligence and national security matters at the premier agency,” it added.
The statement said the prime minister lauded the ISI’s con- tributions towards national security, especially in the ongoing counter-terrorism effort.
“The ISI is our first line of defence and stands out as [the] best intelligence agency of the world,” Khan was quoted as saying by the military’s media wing.
The prime minister said that the government and people of Pakistan firmly stood behind their armed forces and intelligence agencies, and greatly acknowledged the unprecedented achievements of these institutions.
Khan, during his address at the GHQ on September 6, rejected as myth the perception of a civil-military divide.
Without naming any party, the prime minister said that there is a wrong impression that there is a civil-military imbalance in the country.
He said that all state institutions are working to see Pakistan grow and prosper.
Khan has been accused by his critics of being the security establishment’s man.
The Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) has said that Khan had attained top office through the support of the security establishment.
Khan denied such allegations and in his speech soon after being elected premier.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief said that he did not start his political career from the lap of any military dictator – an obvious reference to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was once considered as favourite of former military dictator General Ziaul Haq.