ISLAMABAD: Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif on Monday charged his predecessor Imran Khan with “brazenly” attempting to tarnish the reputation of army chief General Asim Munir and urged his country’s diaspora to distance themselves from any “foreign-funded conspiracy” against state institutions.
Sharif’s diatribe against Imran came a day after hundreds of Pakistani Americans gathered outside the White House in Sunday’s freezing cold to demand an end to the government’s actions against the former PM.
Terming Imran’s alleged “smear campaign” against GenMunir an extension of the “conspiracy against the military”, the PM said the cricketer-turned-politician was indulging in “toxic politics” by playing on the emotions of Pakistanis settled abroad.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief, he alleged, was dragging state institutions and their heads into his politics in contravention of the Constitution.
“This man Niazi (Imran Khan) is stooping to unprecedented lows in his desperation for power, and going to the extent of damaging the country and undermining our armed forces and their leadership,” Sharif said.
He directed home minister Rana Sanaullah to deal with “the miscreants running this vile campaign with an iron fist”.
“Strict legal action should be taken against those who instigate chaos, riots and rebellion in Pakistan,” the PM said. “To discredit the country’s first army chief to be appointed on merit could only be the agenda of enemies of the country.”
At the demonstration outside the White House, the protesters raised slogans against the military and its chief. One of the faces in the crowd said that the “establishment (military) must realise its mistake”.
Another PTI supporter said, “Now is the time for the establishment (army) to accept civilian supremacy.”
Shortly afterthePM’sstatement, Imran’s party said the remarks were solely aimed at creating a divide between the people and the army so that the two remained “at war” and the Pakistan Democratic Movement could continue allegedly looting the country.
“Crime minister (as PTI calls PM Shehbaz) yet again trying to take charge of boot-polish campaign (sycophancy). His only desire is to use this narrative to further enlarge the gulf between people and the army so (that) PDM can continue with the loot and plunder,” senior PTI functionary Fawad Chaudhry tweeted.
“Let me make it clear that PTI has nothing to do with any slanderous campaign against the army chief; rather we expect his good office to play a role in normalising Pakistan politics by helping the election commission hold peaceful and transparent elections,” Chaudhry said.
Sharif’s diatribe against Imran came a day after hundreds of Pakistani Americans gathered outside the White House in Sunday’s freezing cold to demand an end to the government’s actions against the former PM.
Terming Imran’s alleged “smear campaign” against GenMunir an extension of the “conspiracy against the military”, the PM said the cricketer-turned-politician was indulging in “toxic politics” by playing on the emotions of Pakistanis settled abroad.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief, he alleged, was dragging state institutions and their heads into his politics in contravention of the Constitution.
“This man Niazi (Imran Khan) is stooping to unprecedented lows in his desperation for power, and going to the extent of damaging the country and undermining our armed forces and their leadership,” Sharif said.
He directed home minister Rana Sanaullah to deal with “the miscreants running this vile campaign with an iron fist”.
“Strict legal action should be taken against those who instigate chaos, riots and rebellion in Pakistan,” the PM said. “To discredit the country’s first army chief to be appointed on merit could only be the agenda of enemies of the country.”
At the demonstration outside the White House, the protesters raised slogans against the military and its chief. One of the faces in the crowd said that the “establishment (military) must realise its mistake”.
Another PTI supporter said, “Now is the time for the establishment (army) to accept civilian supremacy.”
Shortly afterthePM’sstatement, Imran’s party said the remarks were solely aimed at creating a divide between the people and the army so that the two remained “at war” and the Pakistan Democratic Movement could continue allegedly looting the country.
“Crime minister (as PTI calls PM Shehbaz) yet again trying to take charge of boot-polish campaign (sycophancy). His only desire is to use this narrative to further enlarge the gulf between people and the army so (that) PDM can continue with the loot and plunder,” senior PTI functionary Fawad Chaudhry tweeted.
“Let me make it clear that PTI has nothing to do with any slanderous campaign against the army chief; rather we expect his good office to play a role in normalising Pakistan politics by helping the election commission hold peaceful and transparent elections,” Chaudhry said.