Pakistan army chief warns military, ISI to stay away from politics

Pakistan Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has issued fresh directions to all his commanders and key officers, including those associated with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), to stay away from politics and avoid interacting with politicians.

These directions have been given in the wake of Imran Khan-led PTI propaganda against the military establishment alleging certain ISI officials of having been involved in political engineering to manipulate the upcoming by-elections in Punjab to the disadvantage of PTI, The News reported.

Defense sources lament over these allegations and disclosed that the ISI sector commander, Lahore, who is being maligned by the PTI leaders, is not even in Lahore for over a fortnight in connection with some of his professional work in Islamabad.

PTI leader and former Health Minister of Punjab, Yasmin Rashid recently named the sector commander and alleged him of having been involved in politics to engineering the by-elections in the province.

Before Rashid, it was former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi who had alleged that some invisible forces are active to influence the by-elections in the province against the PTI, The News reported.

Of late, PTI Chairman Imran Khan also alleged that some of his candidates have complained to him of receiving telephone calls from unknown numbers.

He also said that his party leaders and workers were being pressurised to engineer the by-elections.

Defense sources insist that the PTI, instead of maligning the security establishment, should share the evidence. These sources claimed that even if an iota of evidence is provided, strict action would be initiated against the responsible. (AA/IANS)