ISLAMABAD: Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has categorically refuted speculation about Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir potentially becoming the President of Pakistan, calling such claims entirely baseless.
In an exclusive interview with The Economist, Lt. Gen. Chaudhry addressed the growing rumors, which gained traction after the “Battle of Truth,” asserting, “These claims are completely unfounded.” He further dismissed the political commentary and analyses that followed, labeling them as misleading and lacking credibility.
Responding to a question regarding a hypothetical Indian military action, the DG ISPR warned of a swift and forceful response. “This time, we will begin from the East of India,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s retaliation would involve a “deep strike inside India.” He stressed that India must acknowledge its own vulnerability and realize that retaliatory action could occur at any location.
The issue had also been addressed by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi last month, who similarly rejected the rumors about the army chief’s political ambitions. He termed the speculation as "completely unfounded and detrimental to national stability."
Naqvi, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), condemned what he described as a malicious campaign aimed at destabilizing the current leadership—targeting President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and the COAS. He accused hostile forces and foreign agencies of fueling these rumors to damage Pakistan’s institutional cohesion and political environment.
