Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has condemned in the strongest words the disgusting ‘smear campaign’ launched against Army Chief General Asim Munir at the behest of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan lamenting that the former premier has stooped to the unprecedented lows in his desperation for power and going to the extent of damaging the country and undermining our armed forces and their leadership, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Taking to his Twitter handle on Monday, Prime Minister Shehbaz said: “PTI's disgusting smear campaign against Chief of the Army Staff General Asim Munir at the behest of Imran Niazi is deserving of the strongest condemnation.
“This man Niazi is stooping to unprecedented lows in his desperation for power & going to the extent of damaging the country & undermining our armed forces & their leadership.”
According to a press release issued by the PM Office, the campaign against the COAS was intolerable and the continuation of a conspiracy against the national institutions.
The prime minister urged overseas Pakistanis to raise their voice against the “foreign-funded” campaign. He said as the dirty political game was being played through the expatriates, they should not become part of the conspiracy.
He said Imran was violating the constitution by dragging the institutions and their leadership into his “dirty” politics.
The prime minister also instructed the interior minister to strictly deal with those running such a smear campaign against the institutions.
He also warned of strict legal action against those fanning chaos and subversion in the country. A campaign against an army chief appointed purely on merit for the first time in the country’s history could only be an agenda of the anti-Pakistan elements, he added.
“The whole nation stands by its institutions and is united against miscreants,” the prime minister remarked.
Reporter Awais Kiyani