Pakistan’s Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, has sparked outrage after he winked at a female journalist during a press conference. The wink came as a journalist asked Ahmed about his allegations against the jailed former PM Imran Khan.
The video clip of the incident also went viral, showing Pakistani journalist Absa Komal asking questions to General Ahmed during a press briefing. She questions him for calling Imran Khan anti-national and says that the rem has been misused in Pakistan.
She questioned Ahmed for calling Imran Khan a “national security threat,” “anti-state,” and acting “at the hands of Delhi.” “How is it different from the past, and should we be expecting any future developments related to this?” she asked.
On this, Ahmed winked at the journalist and said that he also added a fourth point, “zehni mareez” (mental patient). Hindustan Times could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
Also read: Trump slams Pakistan-origin London Mayor in the new interview; details here
HT.com could not independently verify the authenticity of the video
The gesture triggered outrage on social media, with many users calling out the unprofessional behaviour of Ahmed Sharif.
In the latest briefing, the senior Pakistani general accused Imran Khan of orchestrating anti-army narratives. He called Khan a ‘narcissistic’ and ‘mentally sick’ person, news agency PTI reported. Lt Gen Sharif also warned Khan that such acts will no longer be tolerated.
Also read: ‘There are good military leaders and not-so-good ones’: S Jaishankar on Pak Army chief Asim Munir
He said it was important for the military’s media wing to clarify, remove all ambiguities and doubts, and say what needs to be said.
Calling out Khan, he said that if anyone attacks the armed forces with their ego or delusion, “we will fight them firmly.” He also said that there would be no talks with terrorists, including Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and the Balochistan Liberation Army.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been behind bars since 2003 following a conviction on corruption charges and facing multiple cases.
