ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday condemned the campaign being run on social media pertaining to a murder attempt on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, emphasising that such actions do not fall within the realm of freedom of expression.

The prime minister, in a statement, attributed the vile campaign to the sinister planning of conspiratorial minds behind the May 9 arson incident.

PM Shehbaz Sharif directed the relevant authorities to take legal action against those involved in such media campaigns inside the country and abroad.

“It is a clear message to 9th May planners, facilitators and handlers that conspiracy against Pakistan and its institutions will be crushed”, he added.

He further termed the mean, evil and violent media campaigns a result of the planning of miscreants, adding the conspirators had again become active against the political and economic stability in the country.

The new media campaign was a part and parcel of that abhorrent campaign, which was launched against Shuhada, he maintained.

The premier observed that the media drive against armed forces and its chief does not fall within the domain of the freedom of expression, it was only a conspiracy thwarting which with full force is a legal obligation.

He said the nation would foil such attempts in such a manner as it had frustrated the attempt on May 9 to stir violence and vandalism in the country.

“The nation will thwart this heinous conspiracy in the same way as it foiled the conspiracy of civil war in the country on May 9,” PM Shehbaz said, vowing that the “desperate elements” will not be allowed to create a new crisis in the country in despair.

Hours after the statement was released, the prime minister took to Twitter and accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief of engaging in this “vile, sinister & malicious campaign against COAS General Syed Asim Munir”.

He said that the ousted premier’s “trick of using the proxies to threaten the Army Chief of an assassination attempt has been badly exposed.”