Former Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) prime minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas has come down hard on his party chief Imran Khan for “attacking” the institutions and creating a “gulf” between the military and the people.
“For a year, Imran Khan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders have been creating fears in people’s minds against institutions,” Ilyas said in a video statement.
The hard-hitting response from the PTI leader — who has recently been disqualified from the top AJK office over contempt charges — came after the military assailed the former PM for “irresponsible and baseless allegations” against a serving senior military officer.
The PTI chief has claimed that the senior military officer, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah were behind the assassination attempt on him on November 3, 2022; however, he has provided no evidence to authorities so far. Moreover, all the people accused have rejected the allegations.
“These fabricated and malicious allegations are extremely unfortunate, deplorable and unacceptable,” Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said.
In his statement, Ilyas said efforts were being made to create a gulf between the people and the armed forces.
“The nation believes in the armed forces and it is a relationship of trust,” he said, adding that the armed forces make sacrifices for the country and the nation.
Ilyas said that the military is the guarantor of the country’s security, and the nation is proud of it.
