Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday called out Imran Khan’s PTI for carrying out a propaganda campaign against the armed forces, adding that such actions will “not be tolerated at all.”

His remarks came during a meeting of the Federal Cabinet in Islamabad, during which he addressed a range of issues facing the country.

Earlier this week, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif had said during a press conference that the country was recently witnessing a rise in “organised propaganda” against the armed forces based on “false and concocted news”.

He also said that a false narrative was being propagated against the army and its leadership on social media, where “digital terrorists” were using tools such as cell phones, computers, falsehood, and propaganda to impose their will on society “akin to terrorists”.

Echoing similar sentiments, PM Shehbaz declared a zero-tolerance policy for propaganda against the armed forces.

“The kind of things being propagated about General Asim Munir and his family on PTI’s official website is woeful, something that we have never heard or seen before,” PM Shehbaz said during the meeting.

“Therefore, the time has come for us to become fully cognizant that we will, under no circumstances, tolerate such actions against our motherland, innocent people, or the armed forces of Pakistan.”

The prime minister added that the nation needed to unite against “such malicious campaigns” and stressed the importance of respecting the armed forces for making immense sacrifices in the fight against terrorism to ensure peace and stability in the country.

Since his ouster from power in 2022, Imran has been pointing fingers at the military, accusing the former army chief, General (Retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa, of being involved in his removal from power. His criticism of the army grew further following the May 9 riots, when the state launched a countrywide crackdown on the PTI for allegedly inciting supporters to violence and vandalising state properties and torching military installations.

Most recently, the party alleged that the security apparatus had opened fire on peaceful protesters in Bannu.

Terrorism rising in country under ‘organised conspiracy’

PM Shehbaz also voiced concern over the surge of terrorist attacks in the country, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and said that such incidents were pre-planned.

“These [attacks] are being carried out under an organised conspiracy,” PM Shehbaz said.

Referring to the involvement of the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in orchestrating the attacks after calling off a truce with the government in 2022, he said, “The terror emanating from a neighbouring country is not acceptable at all.”

Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to rein in the TTP, asserting that it operates from Afghan soil to launch attacks in Pakistan. The Taliban administration denies providing sanctuary to the TTP.

“Pakistan is ready to protect its citizens but wants to address this issue through negotiations and peaceful means,” PM Shehbaz said, adding that contacts with Afghanistan in this regard are being made directly and indirectly.

According to an annual security report issued by the Centre for Research and Security Studies, Pakistan witnessed 1,524 violence-related fatalities and 1,463 injuries from 789 terror attacks and counter-terror operations in 2023 — marking a record six-year high.

Reference will not be sent until all allies on board: Tarar

Meanwhile, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said while questioned about when the government was initiating the process for sending a reference against PTI leaders that no such development was in the cards at the moment.

“The reference will obviously not be sent until all our allies are not on board, until a threadbare discussion is not held on it and until we fully thrash out its political and legal angles.”

However, he added that “the material [for the reference] is such that there are talks on it and it is being seriously considered.”

Additional reporting by Nadir Guramani.