ISLAMABAD: Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt Gen Asim Bajwa, in a tweet on Tuesday evening, stated the Pakistan Army or any of its affiliated organisations have no connection to the banners that have appeared across the country.
The banners which have stirred controversy, urge Gen Raheel Sharif to impose martial law and form a government of technocrats.
The ISPR has denied any involvement in the activity and the official tweet has distanced the armed forces from the banners.
Earlier, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, responding to the appearance of banners overnight apparently asking General Raheel Sharif to impose martial law, termed those calling upon the army chief to take over the country as fools.
“Such people are fools and do not want good for the country,” added the information minister.
The federal minister was also of the opinion that it is too early to discuss the 'extension' in army chief’s tenure.
Meanwhile, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Senator Aitzaz Ahsan stated the banners are a thought out move by the government.
“The banners are a ploy by the government to put pressure on the opposition and are being used to create an atmosphere of uncertainty,” added the PPP senator.
A little-known political party of Punjab had put up banners in 13 cities across the country with its leaders urging Gen Raheel Sharif to impose martial law and form a government of technocrats.
The banners had been put up in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Hyderabad, etc, by the Move on Pakistan party and unlike its earlier campaign requesting the army chief to reconsider his retirement plan due in November the message is quite ominous this time around.
The Move on Pakistan party — which has little grass-root support — has been registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan for the past three years and a Faisalabad-based businessman, Mohammad Kamran, is its chairman. He runs a number of schools and ‘businesses’ in Faisalabad, Sargodha and Lahore.
In January, ISPR had announced that General Sharif will not seek nor accept an extension of his office as army chief. The army chief has repeatedly said that he supports the democratic process.
