Army spokesman says anti-army propaganda is unacceptable

By Mashal Khan

ISLAMABAD (TSAT) - Pakistan army on Thursday strongly rejected any role in ousting former prime minister Imran from power and said ongoing propaganda against the armed forces is unacceptable.

Speaking at a news conference in army headquarters, Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Major General Babar Iftikhar said the army has nothing with politics.

“Our constitutional and legal role does not allow us to interfere in political affairs and the army will not interfere in future as well,” he said.

Talking about the ongoing social media campaign against the army leadership, Gen. Iftikhar said people should not drag the army into politics and refrain from criticizing the institution. 

“The concerned authorities reached to people who are behind the recent campaign and the army would not tolerate propaganda and spreading fake and baseless information,” he said. 

Following the removal of Khan from power by the joint opposition through a no-confidence motion in parliament last week, western media published stories to provoke Khan’s supporters against the country’s powerful armed forces.

Gen. Iftikhar criticized BBC Urdu to publish fake news full of lies and said the army chief had never met with anyone. 

Distancing army from Khan’s claim that the country top civil, military leadership endorsed his views of US conspiracy behind his removal, the army spokesman said their leadership given clear stance in the National Security Committee meeting. 

 “The military leadership given its clear stance on lettergate [alleged threatening letter received by Khan from Washington]  in the National Security Committee meeting and the committee statement was in front of you... as I said ... the words used are clear. Is there any word such as conspiracy used in it? I think not,” Gen. Iftikhar said while responding to a question that Khan claimed the US carried out a conspiracy against him.  

However, the language used by the foreign country official was wrong and the committee decided to issue a demarch to the concerned country because it was an interference in the internal affairs of Pakistan, he explained. 

Former, Prime Minister Imran Khan claimed that conspiracy against his government was planned in the US and Washington changed the regime in Pakistan. 

Earlier, Khan said he received a communique from his envoy in the US and accused Washington to threatened Pakistan with consequences if the no-confidence vote fails in the parliament against him.

Later on March 31, Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC) also condemned the purported communique, saying the language used was “unacceptable” and “undiplomatic.”

He also clarified that the Army chief Gen. Bajwa will get retire on Nov. 29, this year and he will not accept any extension.