ISLAMABAD – On Sunday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif severely criticized a malicious campaign on social media referring to “assassinating” Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir, stating that those participating were misled in a similar manner to those who were before the turmoil of May 9.
The prime minister issued a statement ordering relevant agencies to file criminal charges against any media activists responsible for the plot, wherever they may be located.
Shehbaz also sent a “clear message” to the May 9 plotters and facilitators by promising to “crush” any conspiracy against Pakistan and its institutions.
Shehbaz claimed that the “conspiratorial minds and elements” were once again active against the political and economic stability of the country, and that the filthy, deceitful, and unpleasant media campaign against the army chief and the army was the outcome of the plotting of an evil mind.
The Prime Minister stated in his statement that the recent media campaign of “dirty media campaigners” against the martyrs “is part of the same plan” (May 9 black day story).
The prime minister stated that the “media campaign against the army and its chief does not fall under the category of freedom of expression, it is only a conspiracy” and that stopping it with “full force” “is a legal obligation” while issuing an order to take action against the campaigners.
Shehbaz said the “desperate elements” would not be allowed to create a fresh crisis in the country out of desperation, and the nation would block the plot in the same manner it had the plot to start a civil war on May 9.
“We support our military and our leader 100 percent.”
This “vile, diabolical & vicious campaign against COAS General Syed Asim Munir,” Shehbaz wrote on Twitter, “is being led by the Chairman of the Pakistan Tehree-e-Insaf (PTI).
After carefully planning an attack against State symbols, the prime minister wrote, “his trick of using the proxies to threaten the Army chief of an assassination attempt has been badly exposed.”
Later, in a separate statement, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb criticized the PTI leader for using “proxies and puppets” located outside the country to advance the organization’s anti-state agenda.
It is the PTI chairman who would be held responsible for any instance of political extremism, she stated in the statement, even though some individuals have been involved in anti-state actions and treason while sitting abroad.
She went on to say that the PTI chief’s malicious strategy and mindset were directly responsible for the despicable and shameless media campaign against the national institutions. Defamation of public institutions, she emphasized, would not be permitted.
She claimed that the PTI chairman has launched a vile campaign against the military martyrs with the same attitude as utilizing a gang of YouTubers and vloggers as his “proxies” to disseminate his lies, conspiracy theories, and propaganda.
She blamed a foreign agent for stoking political extremism in the country and accused the PTI leader of orchestrating the tragedy of May 9 through his proxies, who had been brainwashed to attack state institutions.
They boldly assaulted official buildings, desecrated tributes to valiant martyrs, and so forth. The PTI leader’s dark thoughts led to the destruction of hospitals, radio stations, religious buildings, and educational institutions.
