Initiate legal action over Imran charges, Army asks govt

RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Army Friday reacted strongly to allegations by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan against the institution and requested the federal government to initiate legal action against those responsible for defaming the institution and its officials without any evidence.

Former premier Imran Khan alleged on Friday that three people, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and a senior officer of the Pakistan Army, were involved in plotting his assassination.

A press release, issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said: “Keeping this in view, the government of Pakistan has been requested to investigate the matter and initiate legal action against those responsible for defamation and false accusations against the institution and its officials without any evidence whatsoever.”

The statement said that no one would be allowed to defame the institution or its soldiers with impunity. “Baseless and irresponsible allegations by chairman PTI against the institution and particularly a senior army officer are absolutely unacceptable and uncalled-for,” added the statement.

The military’s media wing said the Pakistan Army prides itself on being an extremely professional and well-disciplined organisation with a robust and highly effective internal accountability system applicable across-the-board for unlawful acts, if any, committed by uniformed personnel.

“However, if the honour, safety and prestige of its rank and file are being tarnished by vested interests through frivolous allegations, the institution will safeguard its officers and soldiers no matter what.”

It added that the “baseless allegations hurled at the institution/ officials today [by Imran Khan] are highly regrettable and strongly condemned. No one will be allowed to defame the institution or its soldiers with impunity.”

In a televised address from hospital, Khan on Friday claimed that he had already learnt about the looming danger and had received information that there was a plan in place to kill him “somewhere between Wazirabad and Gujrat”. “Three people — including Rana Sanaullah, Shehbaz Sharif, and an officer in the army — made a plan to assassinate me after they saw that the number of people in my long march was exponentially increasing,” Khan claimed.

He also urged his followers and party members to continue staging protest against the aforementioned individuals. “Continue your protest against these three individuals until they step down from their posts,” Khan said.