Imran writes second 'open letter' to COAS

RAWALPINDI:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman and former premier Imran Khan has penned a second "open letter" to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir, expressing concerns over the "widening gap between the military and the public" while alleging severe rights violations during his imprisonment.

The letter, shared via his official Twitter handle on Saturday, accuses the authorities of pre-poll rigging, judicial manipulation, and political victimisation.

The fresh letter echoed the first one, written to the COAS on February 3, claiming a growing distance between the military and the people. However, security sources maintained that the military had not received the letter and dismissed media reports regarding its existence.

On Saturday, Imran stated that he had written the previous letter with "good intentions for the betterment of the country and the nation so that the growing gap between the army and the people could be reduced day by day". However, he lamented that the response was given 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 is 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 stated.

He said that if public opinion were sought on the six points he had highlighted earlier, 90% of the people would support them.

Imran alleged that intelligence agencies rigged elections to install a puppet government, that the 26th Amendment was "forced through" Parliament at gunpoint to control the judiciary, and that "pocket judges" were appointed to serve vested interests.

He further claimed that dissent was being suppressed through "draconian laws" like PECA, economic instability was being fueled by "political interference," and that a "state-backed crackdown" on PTI was underway, with institutions being misused for political engineering.

He warned that such actions not only hurt public sentiment but also continuously widen the gap between the people and the military.

In his letter, the former premier also complained about alleged mistreatment in prison.

"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."

The former premier 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 hospitalisation.

He also stated that he has been unlawfully sentenced in four cases, reinforcing his belief that the legal system was being weaponised against him.

Concluding his letter, Imran said: "It is essential for the stability and security of the country that the gap between the army and the people be reduced, and 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 fulfil its assigned responsibilities, and this task will have to be done by the army itself, otherwise, this growing gap will become fault lines in terms of national security".