Pakistan's military has accused a prominent ethnic Pashtun rights movement of being funded by foreign intelligence services, warning its leaders that "their time is up", according to the military's spokesperson.

Major General Asif Ghafoor, speaking at a press conference at the military's headquarters in the northern city of Rawalpindi on Monday, levelled allegations that the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) had been funded by India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and the Afghan intelligence agency, National Directorate for Security (NDS).

"The way they are playing into the hands of others, their time is up," he said, in the military's most forceful statement yet against a group that has faced arbitrary detentions, treason charges against its leaders and a blanket ban on media coverage of its events.

"No one will be hurt and nothing illegal will be done. Everything will be done according to the law. Whatever liberties you could take, you have taken."

PTM leaders denied the charges, saying they were ready to present the group's accounts before parliament or other accountability bodies to be examined.

"These accusations are being levelled against us only because we are demanding accountability," said Mohsin Dawar, a PTM leader and member of parliament, on the floor of Pakistan's National Assembly hours after Ghafoor's press conference.

"We want accountability for targeted killings, for extrajudicial killings, for missing persons, people who have been held without charge or crime by the government. Whenever anyone speaks of these issues, they are accused of being foreign funded."