ISLAMABAD, DEC 5 – Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has hit out at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) jailed founder Imran Khan for “propagating anti-military and anti-state narrative”.

“The headquarters of the Chief of Defence Forces has been inaugurated,” the ISPR chief said hours after the Ministry of Defence issued an official notification for the appointment of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).

The ISPR chief said today’s briefing was aimed at outlining internal national security challenges, saying that nothing is above the state of Pakistan.

Without naming anyone, Lt Gen Chaudry referred to jailed PTI founder Imran Khan saying: “His ego and desires have grown to such an extent that he says if not me, then nothing.”

Describing what he called a “delusional mindset” of a “person captive of his own thoughts,”  Lt Chaudhry said that the narrative promoted by a particular political figure has “evolved into a national security threat”.

The DG ISPR said the jailed party’s founder’s narrative has become a threat to Pakistan’s national security.

The ISPR DG said that anyone who attacks the armed forces or its leadership is effectively “creating space for another army”.

Lt Gen Chaudhary asserted that the PTI founder keeps the Constitution, the law and established rules aside while promoting this narrative.

“Under which law or Constitution do you meet a convicted individual?,” the DG ISPR asked, adding that this person sends a narrative against the military and its leadership out of the prison whenever a meeting is held.

The DG ISPR further that the same individual previously tried to create a narrative urging people abroad to stop remittances so that Pakistan would default.

“We respect Pakistan’s political leadership but keep the army away from your politics,” the militray’s spokesperson said, adding that: “We will not allow anyone to create a rift between Pakistan’s army and the people”.

“We will not allow you to incite the people against the army,” Lt Gen Chaudhry remarked.

Noting that the freedom of expression is allowed under Article 19 of the Constitution, the ISPR DG said that it carries certain restrictions with it as well and does not permit anyone to speak against the state and national security.

Lt Gen Chaudhry said the “mentally disturbed individual” had recently posted a tweet and asked his supporters to target military leadership that stood firm against an enemy eight times stronger in the Operation Bunyamum Marsoos.

“There is an entire science behind this,” the ISPR DG said.

The ISPR DG said that the individual is “working alongside external elements,” and cautioned that anyone attacking Pakistan’s Armed Forces “under their own political mindset” should expect a response.

He reiterated that the Pakistan Armed Forces do not represent any political ideology, saying: “We are the armed forces of Pakistan and reflect no political thinking.”

The ISPR DG said that whenever people meet the political figure, “he propagates a narrative against the state of Pakistan and the military.”

According to the DG ISPR, PTI founder Imran has now become a national security threat and is working in coordination with external elements.

Reaffirming the institution’s stance, he said, “We are the armed forces of Pakistan and do not represent any political ideology.” He added that if anyone attacks the Pakistan Army based on their personal beliefs, “we will respond”.