ISPR warns of legal action over 'malicious allegations' against Army leadership

Pakistan Army on Wednesday rebuffed allegations leveled against its top leadership by senior journalist Shaheen Sehbai and others and said that it reserved the right to take legal action against those involved.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Sehbai claimed that the military establishment had asked former finance minister Shaukat Tarin to "betray" former prime minister Imran Khan and help the incumbent premier, Shehbaz Sharif.

“NEUTRAL EXPOSED: I am going to write soon about WHY the Chief Neutral, proved by Shaukat Tareen as Non-Neutral as he asked Tareen to betray IK n help Shehbaz, is so sensitive and DEAD SCARED about his remaining 4 months in office. Something fishy, intriguing, alarming, unpatriotic,” Sehbai claimed in a tweet.

However, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) termed his statement "baseless propaganda."

“The insinuations by Shaheen Sehbai and some others on social media quoting the Former Finance Minister are baseless propaganda,” the military’s media wing said.

“The same has also been duly rebutted by Mr Shaukat Tarin himself. Peddling malicious allegations and blatant lies against the institution and its leadership to promote vested interests is condemnable and institution reserves the right to take legal action against those involved.”

Former finance minister Tarin also refuted Sehbai's claims in a tweet.

“I categorically deny what has been attributed to me by Shaheen Sebhai. I was never asked by anyone in the establishment to leave IK and join Shahbaz Shareef govt,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle.