Asim Munir, Shehbaz Sharif considering treason case, ban on PTI: Why is Imran Khan now labelled a national threat?

Pakistan’s ruling civilian–military establishment is now debating whether to charge former prime minister Imran Khan with treason and formally ban his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). According to senior officials cited by CNN-News18, the Sharif government and the military top brass believe Khan’s actions have “crossed multiple red lines” and allegedly put the state at risk.

The report quotes government sources claiming that the powerful decision-making circle, dominated by the Army under newly appointed CDF, Field Marshal Asim Munir, views Khan’s political defiance as a national threat. They argue that his time in office gave him access to classified information, including strategic and nuclear-related data, and say the combination of sensitive knowledge and political confrontation has alarmed the establishment.

Officials told CNN-News18 that the state believes Imran Khan’s access to high-level secrets, along with his refusal to yield to military pressure, has “destabilised Pakistan’s diplomatic relationships and internal security environment.” They insist that this alone has pushed the leadership to discuss treason charges.

Sources also say Pakistan’s security establishment is increasingly frustrated with PTI leaders, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where provincial officials have reportedly refused to cooperate with federal security institutions. According to these sources, PTI members are seen as trying to provoke agitation and disrupt state control.

The military’s media wing escalated tensions when ISPR chief Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif publicly attacked Imran Khan. He went as far as calling the former PM “mentally ill” and claimed Khan was a “serious national security threat.” The remarks were broadcast as the Army continues consolidating political control under Asim Munir.

Officials also accused Khan’s family of using foreign platforms to damage Pakistan’s image. They allege that family members are “using Indian media to defame Pakistan’s institutions.”

Top government sources warn that the punishment could be harsh if Khan and his party continue challenging the state. According to them, if Khan and what they called his “hawkish” associates do not submit, “the consequences may be severe.”

A formal ban on PTI and a treason case against Imran Khan are now being openly discussed, signalling a deeper crackdown in a country where the military already dominates politics. As Pakistan’s economy struggles and global credibility falls, the push to silence the opposition appears to be strengthening the military’s grip rather than solving any national crisis.

Rather than addressing economic collapse, terrorism, or global isolation, Pakistan’s ruling establishment seems determined to imprison its most popular civilian leader. All indications suggest that the country’s internal instability is being manufactured and managed from the top, with Field Marshal Asim Munir at the centre of it.