Imran’s hate campaign touching new heights: Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a day after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman made controversial remarks against the top military leadership, said on Monday that Imran Niazi’s highly condemnable campaign of defaming institutions and spreading hatred against them is touching new heights.

In a statement issued here, he regretted that the PTI chairman was now directly resorting to mudslinging and hurling toxic allegations against the armed forces and its leadership on sensitive professional matters.

Shehbaz said Imran’s agenda was to stoke anarchy and weaken the country. He said Imran Khan’s despicable utterances to malign institutions were touching new levels every day and he was now indulging in direct mudslinging and levelling poisonous allegations against the armed forces and its leadership. “His nefarious agenda is clearly aimed to disrupt and undermine Pakistan,” the PM said.

Defence Minister Khwaja Mohammad Asif said a “long legal battle” would be initiated against the former prime minister very soon. “Some actions have already been taken while some are going to take place soon. Our legal experts are examining it and they will act accordingly,” he said while addressing a press conference here on Monday.

He also lashed out at Imran Khan for passing controversial remarks related to the appointment of new army chief, accusing him of attacking the country’s economy and defence institutions under the ‘inimical designs’ of the enemies of Pakistan.

The minister said after independence our perpetual enemy India attempted to weaken Pakistan by targeting our economy and armed forces. “Yesterday in Faisalabad, Imran Khan made comments on COAS (Chief of Army Staff) appointment. In the past few months Imran Khan clearly targeted these two areas,” he remarked.

He emphasised that the pattern of past four months showed that Imran Khan was targeting Pakistan’s economy and defence. “Yesterday, Khan alleged that the senior generals next in line to be the COAS are going to provide illicit protection to the misappropriation of the Pakistan Democratic Movement leadership.”

The minister said India wanted to destroy Pakistan economically, and the PTI and its leadership were becoming their tool for that cause. Meanwhile, former president and President Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians Asif Ali Zardari, in a statement, said “we will not allow our institutions and generals to become controversial for this man’s lust for power. From our soldiers to generals, everyone is brave and loves the country.”

He said: “The whole nation can see who the ‘fitna’ is as today, everyone can see the difference between a beast and a human.” Zardari said it seems as if this person (Imran Khan) has connived with others to weaken this country. “We will not let him do this as long as we are alive,” he said.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also condemned Imran Khan’s statement against senior leadership of Pakistan Army and asked him to desist from questioning the patriotism of the defence institution and its commanders.

Reacting over PTI leader’s address, the PPP chairman said Imran Khan had proved time and again to be an unguided missile for the country, its economy, politics and social cohesion. “Targeting senior officials and handing out certificates of patriotism and traitors for the members of different institutions have been hallmarks of this anarchist,” he stated.

PMLN senior leader and federal minister Ahsan Iqbal said while the country was facing the worst climate disaster, Imran Niazi was continuing to pollute political environment and pushing the country towards extreme polarisation, and putting blots on all state institutions as well as appointment of new army chief. “What is his end game? More anarchy and chaos?” he questioned in his tweet.

Javed Latif, another PMLN stalwart, tweeted that Imran Khan spoke about the division of the country into three parts and the nuclear programme being unsafe. “Today, the generals in the army have been declared enemies of the country and their patriotism has been questioned,” he said and added that this temptation was constantly attacking the state and state institutions. “Allowing it further can be very dangerous for national security.

PMLN official twitter account tweeted: “A fitna is conspiring against the state. Conspiring to divide institutions that are tasked to defend us. Politicising them is condemnable. This brand of politics is unacceptable in a country, which is a nuclear power.”

PMLN Vice President Maryam Nawaz lashed out at Imran Khan, saying that he had waged a war on the country by attacking its stability, economy, society, media and now its armed forces.

Taking to Twitter, she said, “Stop treating Imran like a political leader, because he’s not. He has been launched & funded to wreck & ruin Pak & plunge the nation into pits of misery & despair.”

Maryam further said that Pakistan will never reel from the shock and continue to go downhill if he’s not declared and dealt with as a double-dealer by all the stakeholders including judiciary.

Meanwhile, the government allies, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), strongly condemned PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s continuous attacks on armed forces and their leadership and said that such conspiracies against the institution would be foiled with might of Constitution and law.

In a joint statement issued on Monday, the ruling alliance leaders said Imran Khan’s statements were aimed at pitting masses against the armed forces and paving the way for confrontation in Pakistan army’s rank and file. “We will foil such condemnable conspiracies with might of Constitution and law and deal with conspirators accordingly,” the statement pledged.

The statement said no individual would be allowed to make the country and nation hostage to his fascism, ego and dictatorial attitude. It said that federal and provincial government under leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and with support of institutions and armed forces, were active in rescue-and-relief activities in flood-affected areas. At the same time, the officers and jawans of Pakistan Army were also sacrificing their lives while fight against menace of terrorism.

“At this critical juncture when the whole nation is united to fight against terrorism and flood, an individual is spreading hatred through false statements, propaganda and allegations,” the statement added.