Pakistan military says Khan’s anti-army statements 'threaten national security'

Pakistan’s military on Friday accused jailed former prime minister Imran Khan of fueling an “internal security threat,” saying his recent statements targeting the army and its top brass were part of a widening campaign that risked undermining national stability.

“We need to make it clear that fraud and lies cannot be allowed, and this narrative cannot continue,” military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told a press conference in Rawalpindi.

Chaudhry did not name Khan directly but displayed his photograph alongside tweets and social media posts during a presentation. He said the former prime minister’s rhetoric had escalated into what he described as a “creeping security threat… emanating from a delusional mindset.”

The military chief added that Khan’s political grievances had grown into a narrative challenging the state itself. “He is captive to his own self. His interests and desires are placed above Pakistan’s,” Chaudhry said, calling Khan a “narcissist” and a person who is “psychologically unstable.”

He further said: “If a person can target Pakistan Army martyrs’ monuments, provoke attacks on the army, and set the 1965 Pakistan Air Force memorial on fire, then what is the problem in calling that person a ‘traitor’?”

The unusually sharp remarks came days after Khan posted a scathing social media message attacking Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, using language the military said crossed boundaries.

'Imran Khan, PTI national security threat'

Chaudhry said the narrative emerging from Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party “has become a national security threat,” adding that the army does not represent any political ideology or ethnic group.

“We come from middle and lower-income classes, not elite families,” he said. “If someone attacks the armed forces and its leadership for personal interest, we will respond bare-knuckle. We respect all political parties, but the military must not be dragged into their disputes.”

The military spokesman warned that attempts to drive a wedge between the armed forces and the public would not be tolerated. “This country does not have another army,” he said.

“If someone is attacking their own armed forces, are they trying to create space for an enemy military? You may fool some people for some time, but not all people forever.”

Chaudhry said Khan had repeatedly encouraged actions harmful to the state - including pushing for remittances to be blocked, calling for civil disobedience, and urging supporters to target military leadership. “Which law permits this?” he asked.

He also said that Khan’s messaging aligned with hostile narratives emerging from New Delhi.

“This agenda cannot originate from anywhere except the enemy sitting in India,” he said, adding that the Indian intelligence agency RAW was amplifying PTI talking points online. “Several RAW-linked accounts are sharing his statements,” he claimed.

Chaudhry displayed a chart titled “venomous PTI-driven anti-state campaign”, which he said illustrated how coordinated disinformation had intensified after the May conflict and amid Pakistan’s ongoing political tensions.

He said Imran also reflects the ideology of “traitor” Sheikh Mujeeb ur Rehman, the Bangladesh founding leader.

Khan, who has been imprisoned since 2023 on a series of convictions he says are politically motivated, denies orchestrating any anti-state agenda. PTI has dismissed past military accusations as attempts to silence dissent.