The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) late on Friday rejected the "baseless and irresponsible" allegations by PTI Chairman Imran Khan against the military.
Imran was shot at and injured on Thursday evening when the container carrying the PTI chief and senior party leaders, was sprayed with bullets when the party’s ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ march reached Wazirabad’s Allahwala Chowk.
The former premier has held Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and a senior intelligence official as being responsible for the bid to assassinate him and demanded they resign.
Addressing the nation for the first time since the assassination attempt earlier today, Imran described the attack in Wazirabad. He especially urged Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa to hold "black sheep" in his institution accountable.
"The baseless and irresponsible allegations by chairman PTI against the institution and particularly a senior army officer are absolutely unacceptable and uncalled for," the ISPR said in a statement issued hours after Imran's address.
"The Pakistan army prides itself for being an extremely professional and well-disciplined organisation with a robust and highly effective internal accountability system applicable across the board for unlawful acts, if any, committed by uniformed personnel," it said.
"However, if the honour, safety and prestige of its rank and file is being tarnished by vested interests through frivolous allegations, the institution will jealousy (sic) safeguard its officers and soldiers no matter what.
"The baseless allegations hurled at the institution/officials today are highly regrettable and strongly condemned. No one will be allowed to defame the institution or its soldiers with impunity," the ISPR statement added.
The ISPR called on the government to investigate the matter and initiate legal action against those "responsible for defamation and false accusations against the institution and its officials without any evidence whatsoever".
