Imran Khan claims Gen Munir turned against his wife after he was removed as ISI director general

Imran Khan claims Gen Munir turned against his wife after he was removed as ISI director general

Pakistan’s jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan accused Army Chief General Asim Munir of acting out of revenge, claiming the general turned against his wife, Bushra Bibi, after Khan dismissed him from his role as Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)

In a statement posted on X on Monday, Khan claimed that Gen Munir turned “vindictive” after being dismissed from his post, and subsequently targeted his wife with “unjust imprisonment” and “inhumane treatment.”

“As Prime Minister, when I removed General Asim Munir from the post of DG ISI, he sought to approach my wife Bushra Bibi through intermediaries to discuss the matter.

"Bushra Bibi categorically declined, saying that she had no involvement with such affairs and would not meet him. It is General Asim Munir’s vindictive nature that is behind Bushra Bibi’s unjust 14-month incarceration and deplorable inhumane treatment in prison,” he said.

Further criticizing General Munir, Khan said, “The way my wife has been targeted for personal vengeance is unprecedented. Even during Pakistan’s darkest periods of dictatorship such a thing never happened.

Khan, who has been imprisoned in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail since mid-2023 in connection with multiple cases, said he has not been allowed to meet Bushra Bibi for the past four weeks, despite being scheduled to do so on June 1. He accused jail authorities of violating court orders and claimed that she has been arrested in “false cases” without any evidence.

Imran Khan claimed that the May 9, 2023 attacks on military installations were part of a pre-planned conspiracy known as the "London Plan," which he said aimed to dismantle his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the country’s largest political force.

“Our democratic mandate was stolen, and corrupt families like the Sharifs and Zardaris were imposed on the nation,” he said. “PTI leaders and supporters were unlawfully jailed, shot at, and slapped with fabricated cases.”

Khan accused the military-backed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) regime of orchestrating widespread repression, including firing on PTI supporters and filing baseless legal cases against them.

He also alleged that anti-terrorism courts and many judges were complicit in this campaign, claiming they refused to review crucial CCTV footage from May 9. “Despite repeated requests, no judge has had the courage to demand the tapes or issue a verdict based on actual evidence,” Khan said, insisting on his and his party's innocence. He added that PTI would appeal to all courts to secure the release and examination of the footage.

Khan called for the formation of a judicial commission to conduct a transparent investigation into the “massacres (of unarmed pro-democracy protesters) of May 9 and November 26, 2024 in Islamabad”.

“The judiciary in Pakistan has never been more disgraceful than it is today. In the past, there was Justice Munir, whose unjust decisions earned him global notoriety. Today, Justice Qazi Faez Isa is following in the same footsteps. The entire judicial system seems complicit, driven not by justice but by a desire to protect their own jobs and privileges,” he said.

Last week, a Pakistani court sentenced 11 PTI supporters, including a lawmaker, for their involvement in the May 9 protests. They were convicted of attacking public and defence properties during nationwide demonstrations sparked by Khan’s arrest.

Khan has been incarcerated in Adiala Jail of Rawalpindi, the garrison city, since mid-2023 in connection with multiple cases.