The Army has condemned the spread of "unsubstantiated, defamatory, and provocative statements and warned politicians, journalists and analysts against dragging Pakistan Army and its leadership in the country’s political affairs, saying that the practice is “extremely damaging”, Aaj News reported on Sunday.

"Intensified and deliberate attempts have recently been made to drag Pakistan Armed Forces and their leadership into the ongoing political discourse in the country." the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

“These attempts are manifest through direct, insinuated or nuanced references to Armed Forces as well as their senior leadership, made by some political leaders, few journalists and analysts on public forums and various communication platforms including social media.”

"The practice of unsubstantiated, defamatory and provocative statements and remarks is extremely damaging," read the statement adding that the Pakistan Armed Forces take "strong exception to such unlawful and unethical practices".

The statement comes days after Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema wrote a letter to Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa seeking the army’s intervention to lead the province out of the crises plaguing it for months despite the armed forces repeatedly refusing to be pushed into the country’s perpetual political quagmire.

Cheema, in his letter, had also requested COAS Qamar to play a role in ensuring the implementation of the constitutional framework in the province and had sought the army chief’s role in restoring the public’s trust in the federal and provincial governments.