PTI chief says ruling coalition leaders are trying hard to incite quarrel between his party and military establishment
Islamabad
Former prime minister Imran Khan has accused the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition of attempting to pit his political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), against the country’s armed forces.
Imran has claimed that the PDM is orchestrating a campaign to incite a quarrel between the PTI and the army in an attempt to eliminate his party, which he said they cannot defeat in the elections.
“Efforts are being made to make PTI and the army come face to face. PDM is trying hard to incite quarrel between PTI and the army as these people [PDM] cannot win the elections so they want to eliminate PTI,” he said this while addressing the media from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore on Monday. His statement comes just hours after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged overseas Pakistanis not to support the “vicious” conspiracy against the Pakistan Army and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir.
Shehbaz called the “smear campaign” against the army chief a “continuation” of a conspiracy against the military, which he said was “unacceptable.”
Sharif also accused Imran Khan of “damaging the country and undermining our armed forces and their leadership.” He stressed the need to reject his political rival’s “agenda.” The PTI has repeatedly denied any involvement in the alleged campaign against the army, with party officials calling the accusations baseless and unfounded.
“I want to make it clear that this country is mine and so is the army. I have to live and die in Pakistan,” he asserted.
