Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday claimed that the ruling PML-N is issuing statements against the army "in order to protect itself from being punished for money laundering".

On Friday, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal had said that the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor should refrain from commenting on the country's economic situation.

Iqbal's statement came a day after Maj Gen Ghafoor's interview on a private TV channel in which he had said: "If the economy is not bad, it is not doing so well either."

Earlier in the week, army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa had addressed the leaders of Karachi's business community, stressing that economic stability was tied deeply to Pakistan's security concerns.

Responding to Iqbal's statement in a tweet, Imran had said that Iqbal's "unwarranted attack" on ISPR was "absurd".

Speaking at his party's Workers' Convention in Islamabad, the PTI chief said that the PML-N is provoking the army at a time when the latter, for the first time in Pakistan's history, has said that it is standing with the law and the Constitution.

Imran warned that if the ruling party continues to malign the judiciary and the army, he will hold a rally in Islamabad so massive "there will be no place to stand."

"It appears that the PTI will have to hold another street demonstration," Imran said, as he joked that his party has had enough practice in protecting itself from tear gas.

"We will see whether they [PML-N] let the National Accountability Bureau's courts function or, instead, try to obstruct justice to protect a corrupt family," Imran said referring to the Sharifs who are currently facing trial on charges of money laundering.

Last week, an accountability court had been forced to adjourn the proceedings in a graft case against ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar, after PML-N lawyers and supporters forcibly entered the building and created mayhem.

The lawyers had surrounded the judge's bench, loudly complaining that they had been manhandled by security forces outside the court and prevented from entering the courtroom, forcing him to adjourn proceedings.

Later on the same day, the PTI chief had said that the PML-N had attacked the judiciary and claimed that a "drama" had been staged so that the Sharif family could protect itself from accountability.

Iqbal offers clarification

Earlier in the day, via a video message released from Washington, the interior minister sought to provide further clarification on the statement he had made on Friday.

Iqbal said that ISPR's statements regarding Pakistan's economy had contradicted with the image he was presenting before the World Bank during his meetings in Washington. He added that he had to answer several questions on the contradiction in the two images of Pakistan's economy and therefore, made a statement expressing his opinion.

"We do not have any conflict with anyone," the interior minister said, without mentioning a particular institution or individual. "All of us have the same purpose: a stable Pakistan," Iqbal added.

"We have great respect for our soldiers who sacrifice their lives for our country's protection," the minister added.

On Saturday, the interior minister had explained that Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor's comment that "the country's economic health, if not bad, was not good either" had hurt him.

Iqbal had stressed the need for a "joint voice" to highlight the "positive aspects of the country" before the world.

'Owning the economy'

"Pakistan's economy is stable," Iqbal had said in his statement on Friday.

"Irresponsible statements will bring disrepute to the country," Iqbal had added in a statement issued as a reprimand to the ISPR chief.

Responding to the interior minister's criticism, Maj Gen Ghafoor had expressed his disappointment on Saturday and clarified the army's position.

"Never did I say that Pakistan's economy has been destroyed or something of that sort," he clarified. "Last year, the taxes recovered were only 39pc, and from the private sector the recovery was the only 40pc. It is too meagre. That is all I said — that the tax base needs to be increased — and I stand by it."

"Democracy has nothing to fear from the Pakistan Army," he had assured but warned that the democratic process may flounder if the requisites of a democracy were ignored.

He had also voiced the need for unity, saying: "When it comes to Pakistan, the security and survival of Pakistan, we all are one."