RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan has written a second “open letter” to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, expressing concerns over the “widening gap between the military and the public” and alleging severe human rights violations during his imprisonment.
The letter, shared via his official Twitter handle on Saturday, accuses authorities of pre-poll rigging, judicial manipulation, and political victimization. It echoes themes from his first letter to the COAS on February 3, which also highlighted the growing disconnect between the military and the people. However, security sources denied receiving the letter and dismissed media reports about its existence.
In his latest letter, Imran stated that he had written the previous letter with “good intentions for the betterment of the country and the nation,” aiming to bridge the gap between the army and the public. However, he lamented that the response to his concerns was met with “extreme frivolity and irresponsibility.”
“As a former prime minister and leader of Pakistan’s largest political party, I have dedicated my life to serving this country. My 55-year public life since 1970 and 30 years of earnings are before everyone. My life and death are solely for Pakistan. I am only concerned about the image of our military and the consequences of the growing disconnect between the army and the people, for which I have written this letter,” Imran wrote.
He claimed that if public opinion were sought on the six points he raised earlier, 90% of the people would support them. Imran alleged that intelligence agencies rigged elections to install a “puppet government,” forced the 26th Amendment through Parliament “at gunpoint” to control the judiciary, and appointed “pocket judges” to serve vested interests.
He further accused authorities of suppressing dissent through “draconian laws” like PECA, fueling economic instability through “political interference,” and orchestrating a “state-backed crackdown” on PTI, misusing institutions for political engineering. He warned that such actions not only harm public sentiment but also widen the gap between the people and the military.
Imran also detailed alleged mistreatment during his imprisonment, stating:
“The prison administration has done every injustice to me to increase pressure on me while violating basic human rights. I have been kept in a death cell. I was kept in complete lock-up for 20 days, where even sunlight did not reach me. For five days, the electricity in my cell was turned off, and I was in complete darkness. My exercise equipment and TV were taken away, and I was not even allowed to have newspapers. They even withhold books whenever they want. Apart from these 20 days, I was again kept in lock-up for 40 hours. My sons have been made to talk to me only three times in the last six months.”
He further alleged that intense pressure was being exerted on judges to convict him and his wife, citing an incident where a judge’s blood pressure spiked five times due to stress, requiring hospitalization. Imran claimed he has been unlawfully sentenced in four cases, reinforcing his belief that the legal system is being weaponized against him.
Concluding his letter, Imran emphasized:
“It is essential for the stability and security of the country that the gap between the army and the people be reduced. There is only one way to reduce this growing gap, and that is for the army to return to its constitutional boundaries, separate itself from politics, and fulfill its assigned responsibilities. This task will have to be done by the army itself; otherwise, this growing gap will become fault lines in terms of national security.”
The letter underscores Imran’s ongoing criticism of the current political and judicial landscape, as well as his call for the military to remain apolitical and focus on its constitutional role.
