Rawalpindi: Responding to PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s allegations that three people, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and a major of Pakistan Army, were involved in plotting his assassination, country’s military rejected statement as “baseless.”

According to a press release by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), “baseless and irresponsible allegations by Chairman PTI against institution and particularly a senior Army officer are absolutely unacceptable and uncalled for.” In statement, military’s media wing said that Pakistan Army prides itself on being an extremely professional and well-disciplined organisation with a robust and highly effective internal accountability system applicable across board for unlawful acts, if any, committed by uniformed personnel.  “However, if honour, safety and prestige of its rank and file are being tarnished by vested interests through frivolous allegations, institution will safeguard its officers and soldiers no matter what.”  It added that “baseless allegations hurled at institution/officials today [by Imran Khan] are highly regrettable and strongly condemned. No one will be allowed to defame institution or its soldiers with impunity.

“Keeping this in view, government of Pakistan has been requested to investigate matter and initiate legal action against those responsible for defamation and false accusations against institution and its officials without any evidence whatsoever,” statement added. In a televised address from hospital, Khan maintained that he had already learned about 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 a Major in Army - made a plan to assassinate me after they saw that number of people in my long march was exponentially increasing,” Khan asserted. He also urged his followers and party members to continue staging a protest against aforementioned individuals. “Continue your protest against these three individuals until they step down from their posts,” Khan said.

Published in The Daily National Courier, November, 05 2022

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