Pakistan's military says it has rejected recent reports in The New York Times criticizing the Pakistani army and the country's powerful intelligence agency, known as the ISI.

Major General Athar Abbas said the articles in the U.S. publication are part of a “vilifying campaign.”

The New York Times published an editorial and an article last week linking the ISI to the death of a Pakistani journalist who had written scathing reports about the infiltration of militants into the military.

The newspaper, citing unnamed Washington officials, said there was “classified intelligence” about the disappearance of journalist Saleem Shahzad, proving senior ISI officials ordered his death.

Another New York Times article said Pakistan's military “continues to nurture a broad range of militant groups,” as part of a three-decade strategy of using proxies against its neighbors and American forces in Afghanistan.

Relations between Pakistan and the U.S. have become increasingly tense since the U.S. commando raid in May that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in a compound near Islamabad, where he had been living for years.