Takes ‘strong exception’ to attempts made to drag its leadership in political discourse
The Army has taken a “strong exception” to “intensified and deliberate attempts” to drag its name into the country’s ongoing political discourse by “some political leaders, journalists and analysts”, according to a press release issued by the Inter Services Public Relations on Sunday.
The military’s media wing noted that attempts to involve the armed forces and its senior leadership in the political discourse were “manifest through direct, insinuated or nuanced references made by some political leaders, few journalists and analysts on public forums and various communication platforms, including social media”.
“This practice of unsubstantiated, defamatory and provocative statements/remarks is extremely damaging,” the ISPR said.
It added that the military took strong exception to such “unlawful and unethical practices” and expected everyone to abide by the law and keep the armed forces out of political discourse in the “best interest of the country”.
The ISPR statement did not specify which incident or incidents it was referring to. However, it is pertinent to mention here that Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema has sought the army’s intervention to lead the province out of the crises plaguing it for months despite the armed forces repeatedly refusing to be pushed into the country’s perpetual political quagmire.
