Islamabad, Jan 12 (IANS) As a stand-off between the political leadership and the army lingered on Thursday, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan reiterated his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party will not support a military coup.

Imran’s remark came a day after rumours swirled in the country of a military takeover following Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani dismissing defence secretary Lt. Gen. (retd) Naeem Khalid Lodhi.

The former cricketer said in Lahore that any unconstitutional way would not be tolerated, Geo News reported.

In another interview with Times Now channel, Imran, who is widely perceived as the new blue eyed boy of the army establishment, said he was “completely against military action”.

“Well, you know I am a politician, I am completely against all sorts of military solutions. I have always believed that the military solutions are counterproductive.”

“Military action is military action, shedding blood I disagree with it. It has never solved humanity’s problems,” he said.

“Here you see, the US, which has the most powerful military machine in the history of the mankind, stuck in Afghanistan and it is also debatable whether they have got a long lasting solution in Iraq,” Imran noted,

“Look at the number of people dead, look at the cost over a trillion dollars, the human cost, the cost to the economy of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan through this insanity, and look what they have gained,” the former Pakistan cricket captain said.