The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has termed the recent comments made by important senior politicians’ about Corps Commander Peshawar Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed very inappropriate.

“Such statements undermine the honour and morale of institution and its leadership,” said the military’s media wing in a press release on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, PML-N Vice-president Maryam Nawaz said that the army chief should be a person with an immaculate reputation. She said this while responding to a question about Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s interview to the BBC in which he said that former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed’s name could be considered for the new army chief.

On Wednesday, PPP Co-Chairman Asif Zardari was asked during a press conference about Gen Faiz, to which he responded that he has been sidelined.

Without naming anyone, the ISPR stated that Peshawar Corps is an illustrious formation of Pakistan Army spearheading the national war against terrorism for over two decades.

“One of the most competent and professional officers is entrusted with the responsibility to lead this prestigious formation,” it quoted the ISPR DG Major General Babar Iftikhar as saying.

The statement urged senior political leadership of the country to refrain from passing objectionable remarks against the institution “whose brave officers and men were constantly putting their lives on the line to guard the integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan”.

The leaders of the current coalition government, during their time in the opposition, accused General Faiz of being partial towards the PTI government.

They claimed that Imran wants General Faiz to be the next army chief to help him get re-elected.

“I couldn’t even think of making any decisions about the appointment of the army chief without considering merit. I would like my army to be strong. There was no such thing in mind, yet they spread rumours about my preference for Faiz Hameed as the chief of army staff,” said Imran Khan in a recent interview to YouTubers.