LAHORE: Insisting that the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has overstepped its constitutional bounds by directly addressing a political party, Jamaat-i-Islami says the army is a national and constitutional institution which should follow the policies set by elected representatives of the people.

“Directly addressing a politico-religious party (unprecedented in the past) by the Pakistan Army’s tarjuman [public relations department] seems over and above the established constitutional obligations,” says a communiqué written by JI Secretary General Liaquat Baloch to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

“There have been serious irregularities, transgression, exploitation and expression by various elements, individuals and institutions in our history, but no respected institution has ever questioned these acts,” it says.

The four-page letter has been written in response to the ISPR’s reaction to statements made by Jamaat chief Syed Munawwar Hassan expressing doubts about the status of martyrdom of army soldiers killed in the war against terrorists and describing Taliban leader Hakeemullah Mehsud as martyr.

The ISPR had asked the JI chief to tender an unconditional apology. Almost all political and religious parties and various sections of society have condemned the controversial remarks made by Mr Hassan.

“The military is a national and constitutional institution which, for the defence of Pakistan, should adopt the policy and resolutions set by elected representatives of the masses,” the JI letter says.

It, however, lauded the sacrifices rendered by the armed forces personnel. It also recalls the role played by the Jamaat in support of the forces.

But it regrets that “an artificial and grave atmosphere created by the mass media on the basis of JI chief’s two statements and the way the respected national institution of Pakistan Army (through ISPR) directly charge-sheeted a political party” forced the Jamaat to address the prime minister.

The Jamaat feels that the “outcry on un-related issues” is a bid to divert attention of the nation from real concern and sabotage through fresh US drone attacks the peace efforts agreed upon by both the political and military leadership.

It recalls that the killing of Hakeemullah Mehsud has been condemned by sections of society and that the JI considers this “an attack on national consensus that annihilated the peace efforts”.

The JI communiqué says that the military and political establishment should confess to all declared and secret and verbal agreements reached with the US and repeal them. How the rulers could protest against drone attacks after receiving a huge amount of foreign aid in the name of Coalition Support Fund and accepting the obligation of providing logistic support and information to Nato forces.

It regrets that “our government and institutions, under slight foreign pressure, have been diverging from the national consensus built repeatedly in all-party conferences” held by various parties.