ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir on Friday urged the nation not to let “political differences turn into hatred,” maintaining that unity among the country’s armed forces and the nation will continue to keep the enemy designs from succeeding.

The army chief said this while addressing a ceremony at the army headquarters in Rawalpindi to mark the country’s Defense Day, which commemorates the sacrifices of the heroes of the 1965 war against India.

The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Azad Kashmir prime minister, and senior military and government officials as well as families of the martyrs.

During his address, the army chief urged the Pakistani nation to demonstrate unity, tolerance and harmony in social affairs.

“The ulterior motives to weaken national solidarity will never succeed,” he said. “It is a must for national solidarity that we stay above religious intolerance and protect the rights of minorities as per the Constitution of Pakistan, and not to let political differences turn into hatred.”

Gen Munir’s statement appeared to be directed at the supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, who has waged an unprecedented campaign of defiance against the country’s military since his ouster in a parliamentary no-trust vote in April 2022.

Khan has accused the then army leadership of orchestrating his ouster together with his political rivals as part of a United States-backed “foreign conspiracy.” The military, Khan’s rivals and Washington have repeatedly denied this.

In May 2023, supporters of the ex-premier went on a rampage after he was briefly arrested, vandalising military installations across the country in one of the most serious challenges to the Pakistani military that has ruled the country for nearly half of its history.

During his address, Gen Munir said the principles of “unity, faith and discipline” of Pakistan’s founder Muhamad Ali Jinnah were a guiding light for the nation.

“Apart from its geographical location, Almighty Allah has blessed Pakistan with countless natural resources,” he said. “Our real asset is the public, especially our young generation that has a critical role in the country’s integrity and development.”

He paid a tribute to the civilians and officials and soldiers of the armed forces and law enforcement agencies, who laid their lives for the independence, security and honor of the country.

“As long as such dignified sons are present on this soil, the defense of the country will remain invincible,” the army chief added.

ISLAMABAD: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday declared as “unauthorized” the appointment of a serving lieutenant general as chairman of Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), ordering his removal from the post.
Lt. Gen. Munir Afsar was appointed NADRA chairman in Oct. 2023 and became the first serving army officer to be appointed on the key post. The appointment was made by the caretaker government of then-prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar and confirmed by the elected government in March 2024 for a period of three years.
Petitioner Ashba Kamran had challenged the appointment in the LHC and stated in the petition that the appointment was “in violation of the provisions of NADRA Ordinance, 2000” and did not adhere “to the requirements of conducting a fair and competitive process for appointment by inviting potential aspirants.”
Presiding over a hearing of the case on Friday, LHC’s Justice Asim Hafeez ruled that the appointment was made without requisite “authority of law” and ordered removal of Lt Gen Afsar from the post.
“Illegality committed by way of an unauthorized appointment, by the appointing authority in absence of delegation, cannot be covered... Hence, discretion necessarily needs to be exercised, to end usurpation of the office,” the judge wrote in his verdict.
“In these circumstances, act of confirming the appointment of Respondent No 6 [Lt Gen Afsar] is unauthorized and otherwise inconsistent with the enactment, therefore, without requisite ‘authority of law’.”
The judge ruled that the “appointment, confirmation and continuing holding of the office of Chairman NADRA by respondent No. 6 is declared without the ‘authority of law’.”
Justice Hafeez ordered court officials to send a copy of the order to the federal cabinet, interior ministry and all concerned departments.
Afsar was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in October 2022. He had taken over the position of NADRA chairman from Asad Rehman Gilani, who assumed the office in June 2023 following the resignation of Tariq Malik.