IK urges army chief to revisit policies in ‘best national interest’

ISLAMABAD: In his third letter within a short span of a week, the incarcerated ex-prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday called upon the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir to review the policies in best national interest or else it will be too late.

In this latest letter, shared on his official X account, Khan, who is also the founding chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), emphasised that his concerns are not personal but rather focused on the reputation of both his country and its military. “The military renders sacrifices almost on daily basis for the country, yet the disconnect between the army and the people is widening due to the flawed policies of the military establishment,” he stated in his letter to the army chief.

He urged the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, to refrain from propagating a false narrative that the military remains apolitical, which he deemed disrespectful to the people.

“In this era of social media, it is not privy that the army chief is the one making critical decisions in the country. From manipulating last year’s election results to securing the allegiance of opposition lawmakers, undermining the judiciary, and enacting oppressive laws to silence the media […] all these actions are no longer hidden from the public,” he added.

Khan identified some key issues that he believes have brought the country to the brink of disaster, including the imposition of corrupt people on the masses through last year’s rigged elections.

“The current rulers are notorious for their extensive corruption, from Surrey Palace to Mayfair Flats, yet they were forced upon the people through widespread electoral fraud,” he lamented.

He pointed out that a failed effort is being made by those who facilitated the rise of this corrupt lot to claim that the nature of their corruption cases is political, despite the reality that all cases against them were framed in their respective governments and not during the PTI’s rule.

He emphasised that the installing corrupt mafia on masses through a rigged election has completely eroded the very foundation of democracy, adding a fake regime was imposed on masses by undermining an independent judiciary and overthrowing a democratically elected government in 2022.

“All efforts were made to suppress the PTI and elections were postponed to legitimise an illegitimate government. However, this ultimately failed as the people rejected the corrupt mafia in the elections held on February 8 last year, forcing those in power to impose the corrupt through Forms 47s,” he lamented.

The former prime minister said that deep structural reforms are needed to put the country back on track, which is not possible for those governing the country through National Reconciliation Ordinances (NROs).

He stated that the country is led by a fake prime minister, a fake president, and a dummy parliament, whose sole aim is to extend their illegitimate rule through a reign of terror.

He also pointed out that brain drain is one of the major issues confronting the country as people are leaving the country in utter frustration due to lawlessness and unemployment in the country.

“Investors are also relocating their businesses abroad due to stagnant growth and a lack of a conducive business environment, exacerbated by lawlessness and political and economic instability in the country,” he added.

Another point which the former prime minister said is that the concept of human rights is virtually nonexistent, as evident by the events of May 9 false flag operation and November 26 Islamabad massacre, when innocent people were brutally killed.

In light of these issues, Khan urged the military to reassess its policies to prevent further damage to its reputation, noting that while a select few elites may escape the country with their ill-gotten wealth already stashed in foreign banks, unlike the rest of the people who have to live and die in this country.

“The urgent need is to rise above petty personal interests and adhere to the measures and policies dictated by the law and the constitution, as this is the only viable path to navigate the country out of its current crisis,” he concluded.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025