ISPR serves legal notice on UK paper

The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) of the Pakistan Army announced Wednesday that a legal notice is being served to British newspaper, Independent, to retract a story, which alleged that Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt-Gen (retd) Ahmed Shuja Pasha visited Arab countries to get permission for a military coup, and apologise.“Contents of the article are strongly and categorically denied,” the ISPR said in a statement.It said an article was published in the Daily Independent, UK on Dec.13, 2011, in which Omar Waraich made false assertions regarding ISI director general’s visits to Arab countries. It has been said that Pasha met senior Arab leaders and asked permission for a military coup in Pakistan. The story has been published without verification at any level, the statement said. It clarified that ISI chief did not meet any Arab leader between May 1-9 2011 as mentioned in the article. His other visits to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and UAE only, prior to or after this period, were part of routine intelligence sharing activity, during which he interacted with his counterparts only, it said.