Pak PM condemns ‘disgusting’ smear marketing campaign in opposition to Army chief General Munir

Imran Khan accused General Munir of orchestrating the crackdown in opposition to him final week by Pakistan’s safety personnel in a corruption case.

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif

By Press Trust of India: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday strongly condemned the “disgusting” smear marketing campaign in opposition to Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir and different establishments by his predecessor Imran Khan and urged Pakistanis residing overseas to boost their voices in opposition to it.

Khan, the chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) get together, has accused Gen Munir of orchestrating the crackdown in opposition to him final week by the nation’s safety personnel in a corruption case.

“The campaign against the Army chief is intolerable and a continuation of the conspiracy against the institutions,” Prime Minister Sharif was quoted as saying by the PM’s Office.

In a tweet, Sharif immediately held Khan chargeable for the marketing campaign in opposition to Gen Munir.

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“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,” he tweeted.

“This man (Khan) is stooping to unprecedented lows in his desperation for power & going to the extent of damaging the country & undermining our armed forces & their leadership,” he said in another tweet.

Prime Minister Sharif said the campaign against Gen Munir, who he said was the “first army chief to be appointed on merit in Pakistan,” could only be the agenda of the enemies of Pakistan.

Gen Munir, who served as chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), replaced Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa as the Chief of Army Staff in November last year.

Sharif said “toxic politics” was being unfold, as he urged patriotic Pakistanis residing overseas to boost their voices in opposition to the “foreign-funded campaign.”

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The Pakistan Prime Minister additionally blamed Khan for dragging heads of state establishments for his soiled politics, which he stated was in opposition to the Constitution.

“Strict legal action should be taken against those who instigate chaos, riots and rebellion in Pakistan,” the premier warned.

Pakistani police on Sunday registered a terrorism case in opposition to Khan and over a dozen PTI leaders for indulging in vandalism, attacking safety personnel and creating unrest outdoors the judicial complicated right here forward of a courtroom listening to in a graft case involving the ousted premier.

Clashes erupted outdoors the Islamabad Judicial Complex on Saturday when Khan arrived in Islamabad from Lahore to attend a much-awaited listening to within the Toshakhana case.

Khan has been within the crosshairs for purchasing presents, together with an costly Graff wristwatch he had obtained because the premier at a reduced value from the state depository known as Toshakhana, and promoting them for revenue.

Established in 1974, the Toshakhana is a division beneath the executive management of the Cabinet Division and shops treasured presents given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officers by heads of different governments and states and international dignitaries.

Khan was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan in October final yr for not sharing particulars of the gross sales.

The election physique later filed a grievance with the district courtroom to punish him, beneath felony legal guidelines, for promoting the presents he had obtained as prime minister of the nation.

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Khan has vehemently denied these fees.

Meanwhile, Lahore Police on Sunday booked Khan and over 1,000 PTI staff beneath terrorism fees in two circumstances.

The variety of circumstances in opposition to Khan has climbed as much as 97.

Police claimed to have recovered rifles, Kalashnikovs, bullets, marbles and petrol bombs from his home throughout the search operation.

Khan, the 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, was ousted from energy in April final yr after shedding a no-confidence vote, which he alleged was a part of a US-led conspiracy concentrating on him due to his unbiased international coverage choices on Russia, China, and Afghanistan.

Since his ouster, Khan has been demanding early elections to take away what he termed an “imported government” led by prime minister Sharif.

Sharif has maintained that elections will probably be held later this yr as soon as the parliament completes its five-year tenure.

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Published On:

Mar 20, 2023