An Open Letter from former Prime Minister Imran Khan to the Chief of Army Staff
Dated: February 3rd, 2025
“
Pakistan is my country, and its military is mine too!! Our soldiers are sacrificing their lives for Pakistan. Success in the war against terrorism requires the nation to stand behind their army. However, unfortunately, the gap between the military and the public continues to widen because of the establishment’s policies. There are several fundamental reasons for this. In order to restore public sentiment towards the military and bridge the widening gap between the people and their armed forces, the establishment must reconsider its policies.
The biggest reason is the historic rigging of the 2024 elections and the blatant theft of the people’s mandate, which has fueled public anger. The way agencies engaged in pre-poll rigging and political engineering to control results has severely damaged public trust. A party that won only 17 seats was handed the reins of power, imposing a “puppet government” on the nation.
The second reason is the 26th Constitutional Amendment. The way the Constitution and laws have been violated, and this amendment has been used to control the judiciary has caused intense resentment in public. Nasser Javed Rana deliberately delayed decisions so that my cases could be assigned to “pocket judges.” The ongoing “court packing” is aimed at ensuring that cases against me are heard by favored judges, who will deliver desired verdicts. This entire exercise is meant to secure selective rulings against me and to cover up violations of human rights and electoral fraud so that no fair judicial decisions can be made.
The third reason is the draconian PECA Law. Electronic media is already under control, and now, through PECA amendments, restrictions have been imposed on social media and the internet. This threatens Pakistan’s GSP+ status. Disruptions to internet services have caused the IT industry more than 1.72 billion dollars in losses, destroying the careers of young professionals.
The fourth major reason is the continued state terrorism against Pakistan’s largest and most popular political party. Violating the sanctity of private homes, over 100,000 raids have been conducted, more than 20,000 party workers and supporters have been either arrested or abducted, and their families harassed. Human rights violations continue in an effort to crush PTI, which has deeply hurt the public.
The fifth major reason is the economic crisis caused by political instability, forcing people to leave Pakistan, along with their capital, at an alarming rate. Economic instability is at its peak. The growth rate is zero, and investment in Pakistan is nearly non-existent. No country can attract investment without the rule of law and justice. No one would willingly invest their capital in a country where there is a risk of terrorism. Investment only flows in when there is a government in place that represents the people’s will — anything else is futile.
The sixth major reason is that all state institutions have abandoned their duties and are instead focused on politically persecuting PTI. Military officers at the major and colonel levels continue to blatantly defy court orders. Judicial rulings are being ignored, and as a result, the entire military is facing a backlash. Just two days ago, an ATC [Anti-Terrorism Court] judge ordered my wife to appear for an investigation, and despite her willingness, some unseen force sabotaged the process.
As a former Prime Minister, it is my duty to highlight the issues that are tarnishing the army’s reputation. My stance has always been the same: Pakistan is my country, and its military is mine too. It is essential for the stability and security of Pakistan to bridge the growing gap between the army and the people. The only way to achieve this is for the military to return to its constitutional role, withdraw from politics, and fulfill its defined responsibilities. And the armed forces must take this step themselves; otherwise, this growing divide will turn into fault lines threatening national security.
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Soure: https://x.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1886714719974907949
