ISPR warns of legal action over ‘malicious allegations’ against army, its leadership

The military on Wednesday dismissed allegations hurled against its top leadership by senior journalist Shaheen Sehbai, terming them a ‘baseless propaganda’.

Sehbai, in a tweet, had claimed that former finance minister Shaukat Tarin was asked by the establishment 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, military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), denied the charge in a statement issued today. "The insinuations by Shaheen Sehbai and some others on social media quoting the Former Finance Minister are baseless propaganda," it 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."

Sehbai's claims were also denied by the former finance minister himself in a Twitter post.

"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.