Pakistan’s military leadership has launched one of its strongest attacks yet on former Prime Minister Imran Khan, declaring that his statements and political messaging represent a danger to the country’s security. At a press briefing on Friday — held soon after the inauguration of the newly created Chief of Defence Forces Headquarters — Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, accused Khan of spreading an anti-army narrative and described him as “mentally ill”.
Holding up a recent post from Khan on social media, Lt Gen Chaudhry said the former premier was deliberately attempting to turn public opinion against the military. “This mentally ill person tweeted to build a narrative against the Pakistan Armed Forces,” he said, adding that the narrative had escalated to the level of a national security threat.
Without repeatedly naming Khan, the military spokesperson characterised him as someone driven by personal power rather than democratic responsibility. “A person thinks that if it’s not him, then it’s nothing. He has become a threat to national security,” Chaudhry said, asserting that no individual will be permitted to create distrust between the armed forces and the public. “Keep the army out of your politics,” he warned political leaders.
Lt Gen Chaudhry also raised questions about Khan’s activities while in custody, where he has been detained in connection with multiple cases since his ouster from power. He asked how a prisoner was able to meet visitors and allegedly shape anti-state messaging from jail. “Which law is it under which a prisoner is met, and he crafts a narrative against the state and the armed forces of Pakistan?” he said, accusing Khan of setting aside the constitution during such meetings to advance an adversarial agenda.
The press conference marks a further deterioration in the already strained relationship between Pakistan’s most popular political figure and the military establishment, which has publicly distanced itself from Khan since his removal from office in 2022. The ISPR’s statements reinforce the army’s position that criticism of the institution will not be tolerated in national politics and that attempts to politicise the military will be met with strong pushback.
