After CJP, Imran writes letter to army chief

PTI founder urges establishment to review its policy

RAWALPINDI:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan has written a letter to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, 'criticising the establishment's policies' and calling for a review of its approach towards national security and governance.

The letter, sent from Adiala Jail, highlights Imran's concerns over what he describes as a growing disconnect between the military and the public, Express News reported.

According to PTI lawyer Faisal Fareed Chaudhry, who disclosed the contents of the letter to journalists, Imran emphasised that the fight against terrorism can only succeed if the nation stands united behind the armed forces.

Imran argued that the 'establishment is backing those who have twice benefited from the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO),' a reference to past political settlements that allowed leaders to evade corruption charges.

He also raised concerns about the country's economic instability, the conduct of the recent general elections, and the state's actions against his party.

The letter reportedly includes six key points, urging the army chief to reconsider certain policies. Imran claimed that existing strategies are fostering resentment among the public, widening the gap between civilians and the military.

He also wrote about issues related to the Protection of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), state-led actions against PTI, and the role of intelligence agencies.

PTI leaders have framed the letter as a direct appeal for a shift in policy, while government representatives have yet to respond. The military has not issued any official statement regarding the letter.

Last week, Imran Khan wrote a lengthy 349-page letter to Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Aminuddin, addressing issues related to human rights violations, electoral fraud, and the arrests of PTI workers.

Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that the text of the letter will be made public today.

Talking to the media, Barrister Gohar said that Imran, in his letter, has reminded the army chief that as the former prime minister and the founder of the country's biggest political party PTI, he wanted to point out "certain things because of which the distance between the people and the establishment was widening".

Gohar said: "This [mistrust] should not take place at all, but there are certain reasons because of which this gulf is widening.

"Owing to those reasons, the army is being blamed, so the policy reasons must be reevaluated."

According to Gohar, the letter also touched upon some of the reasons which have created the perceived gap between the establishment and the public, including the 2024 elections, the passage of the 26th amendment and the recent Peca Act, and how social media was being targeted to suppress dissent.

Barrister Gohar reiterated that Imran had written the letter in the above context "in great detail", adding that the letter would be made public.