Reacting to PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s allegation that three people, including a senior army officer, were involved in plotting his assassination, the military demanded to investigate the matter and initiate legal action against those responsible for defamation and false accusations against the institution.

“The baseless and irresponsible allegations by Chairman PTI against the institution and particularly a senior army officer are absolutely unacceptable,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release issued on Friday.

The ISPR statement comes after the PTI Chairperson Imran Khan, during a televised address from the hospital, claimed that he had already learned he would be targeted “either in Wazirabad or Gujrat”.

He said that three persons, including Rana Sanaullah, Shehbaz Sharif, and a major in the army were involved in a plan to assassinate him.

The ISPR statement said that the baseless allegations hurled at the “institution/officials today are highly regrettable and strongly condemned”, adding that no one would be allowed to defame the institution or its soldiers with impunity.

“However, if the honour, safety and prestige of its rank and file are being tarnished by vested interests through frivolous allegations, the institution will safeguard its officers and soldiers no matter what.”

The statement said that the Pakistan army prides itself on being an extremely professional and well-disciplined organisation with a robust and highly effective internal accountability system applicable across the board for unlawful acts, if any, committed by uniformed personnel.

“Keeping this in view, the government of Pakistan has been requested to investigate the matter and initiate legal action against those responsible for defamation and its officials without any evidence whatsoever,” the statement added.