LAHORE: The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General, Major-General Asif Ghafoor, said on Tuesday that the country’s development is not the job of army, even then it is playing its part in the process of national development by constructing roads, hospitals, setting up schools, colleges and universities.

The general was delivering a talk on the topic of “Role of Army in the Development of Pakistan” here at the University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore. The DG ISPR said false propaganda is on the rise against the army aimed at creating gulf between the nation and the army, so the people can start raising questions over the credibility of the institution, but this propaganda he said won’t succeed as Pakistanis have the utmost faith in the army.

Addressing the UMT students and the faculty, Major General Asif Ghafoor said: “In order to know the actual facts, we need to be neutral in judging the news circulating in media especially those on the social media as most of them are not true and are rather fabricated. We must have our own opinion unaffected by others and only believe the stuff which we can see, touch and hear. This is also what Islam tells us to authenticate the information that comes to your way prior to passing it on to others.” He said: “Everyone by nature is fundamentalist and this is ok unless you demonstrate and try to harm others through your behaviour.”

Differentiating between terrorism and fundamentalism, the ISPR DG said not every fundamentalist is a terrorist, as “I am also a fundamentalist.” “(Similarly) not every terrorist relates himself with fundamentalism,” he said: “Western countries and Indians are also fundamentalists.” “If I’m someone who wants everyone to view the world through my perspective, then I’ll not be called a fundamentalist but an extremist,” Ghafoor said. The ISPR director general said that Pakistan is one of the most beautiful landscapes located in the valuable geography and is a blessing from the Almighty. “When someone wants destruction of a country, then its foremost target is the security forces and then the general public.” Responding to a question that why terrorists are only targeting Pakistan and not the other neighbouring countries, the general said it is because of the fact that Pakistan is an ideological country with the strong army and now CPEC is also an attraction that enemies are busy hatching conspiracies and sponsoring the terrorist outfits.

Earlier, DG ISPR extended condolences over the sad demise of the UMT founder, Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad, who had died in a tragic accident on September 10, upon his returning from Gilgit. He offered ‘Fateha’ for the departed soul and shared his grief with the newly-elected president of the varsity Ibrahim Hasan Murad. Dr Ahmed Omar Murad, chairman ILM Trust, Dr Muhammad Aslam Rector UMT, Abid HK Shirwani, DG UMT and other senior members of the faculty were also present on the occasion.

Major General Asif Ghafoor also planted a tree sapling in the university ground. The rector of the varsity Dr Muhammad Aslam presented a souvenir to the DG ISPR.