Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has directed all commanders and key officials including the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to stay away from politics, according to media reports.
Media has reported that the ISI sector commander of Lahore is in Islamabad for some professional work for over a fortnight. However, PTI leaders have alleged that the ISI sector commander is involved in political engineering to their disadvantage in the upcoming by-elections in Punjab.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan has alleged that there have been reports from party candidates of receiving phone calls from unknown numbers. PTI’s Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi has also claimed that attempts have been made by “invisible forces” to influence Punjab by-elections. PTI Central Punjab President Yasmin Rashid has named the ISI sector commander Lahore for political engineering.
According to a report published in a local newspaper in February, ISI was strictly ordered by the incumbent DG ISI to stay away from politics. It was published in the report that the political role of the agency was denting its reputation after which the newly appointed DG ISI had decided to remain on the primary job while staying away from politics.
