ISLAMABAD: Politicians have praised the Army’s stance and statements made during the recent press briefing by the Director-General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on the current political situation. PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari took to Twitter to call the press conference of DG ISPR Major General Babar Iftikhar “a breath of fresh air for democracy.” Every Pakistani individual and institution, he said, must support and protect democracy, the Constitution, and the rule of law. “A breath of fresh air for democracy is the @OfficialDGISPR press conference. Supporting democracy, the constitution, and the rule of law is the responsibility of every Pakistani, not just institutions “Bilawal was the author of the article. The PPP chairperson went on to say that the transition from controversial to constitutional roles for Parliament, the judiciary, and the establishment would be difficult. “Democracy, democracy, democracy is the answer to all of Pakistan’s problems.” No power on the planet can stop Pakistan’s progress if we continue on this path “He went on to say ‘It’s time for accountability,’ Maryam Nawaz Sharif, PML-N Vice President, chastised Imran Khan for jeopardizing national security in order to save his government. “It is time to hold you accountable for your heinous efforts […] to compromise national security in order to save [your] regime,” Maryam wrote on Twitter. “Face the consequences, don’t flee like you always have because this nation will not let you this time,” she wrote. In a series of tweets, Maryam said Khan’s “lies” have shrunk into fragments. “You used the NSC forum for your conspiracy plot […] you played a dangerous game to keep power. For the bases that were never demanded, you constructed a deceptive narrative of ‘absolutely not.’ “You begged for an NRO and lied that they gave you those ‘options,'” Maryam wrote. ‘False claims have been exposed,’ says the article. Meanwhile, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, a PPP senator, claimed that Khan’s false claims and narrative were exposed by the military spokesperson. “The DG ISPR categorically stated that neither the word “conspiracy” nor a US demand for bases was mentioned in the statement issued by the NSC meeting,” he said. Imran Khan allegedly lied about opposition leaders approaching him through the COAS, according to Khokhar. “Imran approached the army chief for help,” the DG ISPR said today. “Khan was unable to deliver on all of the promises he made in his election manifesto and attempted to deceive the people by fabricating a false narrative,” Khokhar said. He called on the former prime minister to publicly apologize for his lies and attempts to politicize security institutions. The word “conspiracy” was not used in the statement issued after a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) last month, according to ISPR DG Maj-General Babar Iftikhar, who addressed a press conference on Thursday. The DG ISPR said he couldn’t comment on what was discussed at the 79th Formation Commanders’ Conference, but that the word “conspiracy” was not mentioned. Major General said that no such demand had been made on any level in response to a question about former Prime Minister Khan’s statement about providing military bases. “However, if the military bases were requested, the army would take the same position of ‘absolutely not.'” The DG ISPR also flatly denied “rumors” of any political leaders meeting with the army chief or his representative in Pakistan or elsewhere. The establishment, according to the DG ISPR, did not present options to Khan at the time. During the impasse, he said, the Prime Minister’s Office contacted the military leadership to try to resolve the situation. “At the time, the political parties were not prepared to talk to each other to break the impasse,” he explained. “At the request of the Prime Minister’s Office, the army chief and the Director-General of the ISI paid a visit to the PM’s Office to act as a mediator.”