Jailed Pakistan ex-PM Imran writes another letter to army chief

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has written a second open letter to the army chief expressing disappointment over the response to his earlier appeal.

Khan’s latest letter comes days after the security forces denied receiving the first one, branding it ‘another failed drama’ by the PTI.

In his latest letter, Khan stated, “I wrote an open letter to the Army Chief with good intentions for the betterment of the country and the nation, so that the growing gap between the army and the people can be reduced, but the response was very frivolous and irresponsible.”

“I am the former Prime Minister of Pakistan and the head of the country’s most popular and largest political party – I have spent my entire life making the country and the nation famous on the global stage. My 55 years of public life and 30 years of earnings since 1970 are in plain sight - I live and die only in Pakistan,” he wrote.

He further explained in the letter that he was only “concerned about the perception of my army and the possible implications of the growing gap between the people and the army”.

Imran Khan stated that if public opinion were sought on the six points he has identified, 90 percent of the people would support them. The six points included pre-poll rigging and electoral manipulation; judicial interference; suppressing dissent; economic destruction; state repression of political opposition; and erosion of institutional integrity.

Khan warned that such actions are deeply damaging to both governance and national unity.

The army is a crucial institution of the country, but a few rogue elements within it are tarnishing its reputation, former Prime Minister Imran Khan has alleged. Among them, he singled out a colonel stationed at Adiala Jail, accusing him of violating the Constitution, prison laws, and human rights while controlling the jail staff with impunity.

"He is acting like an occupying army, disregarding court orders," Khan claimed. He further alleged that Adiala’s former superintendent, Akram, was kidnapped and tortured for upholding the law, and prison staff continue to face intimidation. “I have been subjected to every form of injustice to increase pressure on me,” he said.

Detailing his treatment in prison, Khan stated, “I was kept in solitary confinement for 20 days in a cell where sunlight couldn’t reach. For five days, I was in complete darkness as electricity was cut off. My exercise equipment, TV, and even newspapers were taken away. Books are withheld at will.” He added that he was later placed in lock-up for another 40 hours.

Khan lamented that he had only spoken to his sons three times in six months, despite court orders. "Even my fundamental right to talk to my children is being denied," he said, adding that party members who travel long distances to meet him are also barred. "Despite clear orders from the Islamabad High Court, I am not allowed to meet my wife, who is also kept in solitary confinement."

Khan alleged that the judiciary is being manipulated through the 26th Constitutional Amendment, passed "at gunpoint" to appoint "pocket judges" who ensure politically motivated verdicts against him. “Judges are under so much pressure that one judge’s blood pressure spiked five times, and he had to be hospitalized,” he said, claiming that the judge admitted to facing "intense pressure from above" to convict him and his wife.

Khan further criticized the imposition of restrictive laws like PECA, arguing that they jeopardized Pakistan’s GSP Plus status, hurt the IT industry, and undermined youth career prospects.

While acknowledging the sacrifices of soldiers in counterterrorism efforts, he warned that the army’s reputation was deteriorating due to the establishment’s “illegal actions.”

He concluded by calling for institutional reform, asserting that the only way to restore trust was for the army to return to its constitutional boundaries, separate itself from politics, and fulfill its designated role to prevent further divisions from threatening national security.