PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar on Monday responded to the army and said that the statement did not mean to cause any harm to the institution. Taking to Twitter, the former planning minister said that the context of Khan’s statement regarding the appointment of the chief of army staff (COAS) has already been clarified earlier.
“There was never an intent to cause harm to the reputation of the institution or its senior leadership,” he added. The former minister said that the party and its chairman have always appreciated the “professionalism and sacrifices” of the army personnel. “The emphasis on upholding the principle of merit is consistent with the desire to protect the professionalism of the force which provides security to the nation,” he wrote on Twitter.
Earlier in the day, the Pakistani Army expressed displeasure over Khan’s recent statement against the military and said it was “aghast” over it. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement, said that the army was “aghast” at the defamatory and uncalled-for statements about the senior leadership of the military by the PTI chairman during a Faisalabad rally.
