PTI responds to army's displeasure over Imran Khan's statement

• Asad Umar clarifies that statement did not mean to cause any harm to army.
• Secretary-general says Imran Khan always appreciated army's "professionalism and sacrifices".
• Pakistani Army expresses displeasure over Khan's recent statement, says it was "aghast" over it.

Following the Pakistan Army's anger over anti-military remarks issued by PTI Chairman Imran Khan, the party's secretary-general Asad Umar responded to the army and said that the statement did not mean to cause any harm to the institution. 

Speaking during a public rally in Faisalabad, the PTI chairman called out the government, saying that it was delaying the elections to appoint an army chief of its own and that if a "patriotic chief of army staff comes in, he will not spare the incumbent rulers."

Taking to Twitter, the former planning minister said that the context of Khan's statement yesterday regarding the appointment of the chief of army staff (COAS) has already been clarified earlier.

"There was never an intent to cause harm to the reputation of the institution or its senior leadership," he added. 

The former minister said that the party and its chairman have always appreciated the "professionalism and sacrifices" of the army personnel. 

"The emphasis on upholding the principle of merit is consistent with the desire to protect the professionalism of the force which provides security to the nation," he wrote on Twitter. 

on Monday, the Pakistani Army expressed displeasure over Khan's recent statement against the military and said it was "aghast" over it.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement, said that the army was "aghast" at the defamatory and uncalled-for statements about the senior leadership of the military by the PTI chairman during a Faisalabad rally.