The Pakistan Army said on Monday that it was “aghast at the defamatory and uncalled for statement” about its senior leadership by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan at a political rally in Faisalabad a day earlier.

Imran had said that the main coalition partners - the PML-N and PPP - did not want early elections as they were more interested in the appointment of the next army chief. The tenure of General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the current chief, ends in November this year.

“Regrettably, an attempt has been made to discredit and undermine senior leadership of Pakistan Army at a time when the institution is laying lives for the security and safety of the people of Pakistan every day,” the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a press release.

It said that efforts by ‘senior politicians’ to make the appointment of the next army chief controverisal was unfortunate and disappointing. The procedure the appointment is well defined, it added.

“Politicising the senior leadership of the Pakistan Army and scandalising the process of selection of COAS is neither in the interest of the state of Pakistan nor of the institution. Pakistan Army reiterates its commitment to uphold the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” it added.