Military leadership believes Musharraf should come back to Pakistan: Babar Iftikhar

Rawalpindi: Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director-general Major General Babar Iftikhar Tuesday said the military leadership believed that ailing former army chief Pervez Musharraf should return to Pakistan.

In an interview with a private television channel, the military's spokesman said the final call for the return of the ex-president to Pakistan from the United Arab Emirates would be made by his family. 

He said a contact had been established with his family and once his family responded the required arrangements could be made.

Iftikhar prayed for Musharraf's speedy recovery.

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif also said last week he believed that no hurdles should be placed if the former dictator wanted to come back to Pakistan.

Musharraf, 78, is critically ill these days as he is suffering from a condition called amyloidosis, his office said Friday.

Last week, the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) of Musharraf said he was taken back to his residence after three weeks of being admitted to the hospital, refuting the news of his death or him being on a ventilator.

-- Defence budget reduced --

The ISPR DG said contrary to perception the defence budget allocation for the fiscal year 2022-23 had decreased after factors such as inflation and rupee depreciation were accounted for, and was now 2.2 per cent of the GDP from 2.8pc last year.

Defending the defence allocations, he said the defence budget was allocated considering the army's threat perception, challenges, deployment and the resources available.

-- There's no conspiracy -- 

When asked about former prime minister Imran Khan's persistent claim of a US-backed conspiracy behind his government's ouster, the DG ISPR said he had "already clarified" the matter as he proceeded to reject the claim again.

Regarding the first National Security Committee meeting on the diplomatic cable at the centre of the conspiracy allegation that was held during Imran's tenure, the DG ISPR said it was attended by top military leadership and the participants were "clearly and in detail briefed by agencies that there is no kind of conspiracy or any evidence of it".