Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor has rubbished Senator Mir Hasil Bizenjo’s remarks that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief was “involved in manipulating the results” of the no-confidence motion against the Senate chairman.

The National Party president and losing candidate for Senate chairman slot had on Thursday accused the country’s premier spy agency of hijacking the Senate vote by indulging in horse-trading.

“Remarks by Senator Mir Hasil Bizenjo implicating head of national premier institution are unfounded,” the military spokesperson tweeted Thursday night.

Remarks by Senator Mir Hasil Bizenjo implicating head of national premier institution are unfounded. The tendency to bring entire democratic process into disrepute for petty political gains doesn’t serve democracy.

— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) August 1, 2019

“The tendency to bring [the] entire democratic process into disrepute for petty political gains doesn’t serve democracy,” he added.

The response came as Bizenjo’s reply to a journalist’s query, following his shocking defeat in the upper house, started doing rounds over the internet.

WATCH VIDEO:

Not beating around the bush. #HasilBizenjo pic.twitter.com/T9u3pu11nH

— Hasan Zaidi (@hyzaidi) August 1, 2019

“[ISI DG] General Faiz’s people are behind this,” he was heard as saying when asked to name those responsible for the defeat.

Earlier in the day, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani survived a no-confidence resolution tabled against him by the joint opposition.

The opposition’s no-trust motion against Sanjrani failed to receive the 53 votes required for his removal even though at the start of the session, 64 senators had stood up in support of the motion.

Following the secret balloting, it was revealed that the motion received only 50 votes in its favour.