Imran Khan accuses Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir of disastrous policies, rising terrorism, and mental torture in solitary confinement, revealing his prison ordeal and political struggle.
Pakistan’s jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan has issued a scathing critique of the country’s military leadership, accusing Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir of implementing policies that are “disastrous” for the nation. In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Khan directly linked rising terrorism and domestic unrest to Munir’s actions, while also revealing the psychological hardships he and his wife have faced in prison.
“Policies Disastrous for Pakistan”
The 73-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician leveled his criticism in a social media post a day after his sister, Dr Uzma Khan, visited him at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail—their first meeting in over a month, permitted only after special approval from the Shehbaz Sharif government.
“Asim Munir’s policies are disastrous for Pakistan. Because of his policies, terrorism has spiralled out of control that grieves me deeply,” Khan wrote in Urdu.
He added, “Asim Munir has no concern for Pakistan’s national interests. He is doing all this merely to please Western powers. He deliberately ignited tensions with Afghanistan so that he could be seen internationally as a so-called ‘mujahid’ (Islamic fighter).”
Khan also opposed the military’s counter-terrorism operations and drone strikes inside Pakistan. “Munir first threatened Afghans, then expelled refugees from Pakistan and carried out drone strikes whose consequences we now face in the form of rising terrorism,” he said.
Calling Munir a “mentally unstable man”, Khan also alleged his “moral bankruptcy has led to the complete collapse of the Constitution and rule of law in Pakistan”.
Allegations of Mental Torture and Solitary Confinement
Khan went further, claiming that Munir’s directives led to his and his wife’s imprisonment on “fabricated cases,” describing the treatment as the “worst form of psychological torture.”
“I have been kept in complete solitary confinement, locked inside a cell with no contact with a single human being for four weeks. I was kept entirely cut off from the outside world, and even the basic necessities guaranteed under the jail manual have been taken away from us,” Khan revealed.
He accused authorities of ignoring court directives and banning his meetings with political colleagues, lawyers, and family members. “Pick up any human rights charter, psychological torture is considered ‘torture’ and is deemed even more severe than physical torture. My sister Noreen Niazi was dragged on the road simply for demanding her legitimate right to meet me,” he said.
Resistance Amid Repression
Despite the hardships, Khan praised Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for resisting pressure in what he described as an “environment of repression.”
“I ask him to continue to play on the front foot. There is no law or Constitution in this country. The law is enforced only against PTI as everyone else is exempt. Those threatening Governor’s rule in KP should impose it today rather than tomorrow and then watch what happens to them,” Khan wrote.
Health and Family Update
Uzma Khan, after visiting her brother, sought to reassure the public about his health while highlighting the mental strain he is under. “Praise be to Allah! His health is perfectly fine. However, he was very angry and said that they are subjecting him to mental torture,” she said.
Khan has been in prison since August 2023 in multiple legal cases, and the government’s continued restrictions on his meetings have sparked public concern and speculation about his condition.