Pakistan Army calls Imran Khan ‘mentally ill’, labels his narrative a security threat

Pakistan military escalates confrontation, brands Imran Khan a ‘national security threat’

Pakistan’s military on Friday launched a fierce attack on former Prime Minister Imran Khan, branding him “mentally ill” and accusing him of constructing a politically motivated narrative that endangers national security.

Speaking at a press conference in Rawalpindi on Friday, DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Khan had been using social media to incite the public against the army despite being incarcerated.

“This mentally ill person tweeted to build a narrative against the Pakistan Armed Forces… Imran Khan’s narrative has become a national security threat,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said, alleging that the former premier’s political messaging was driven by personal ambition rather than the country’s interests.

He warned that no political leader would be allowed to create divisions between the armed forces and citizens. “A person thinks that if it’s not him, then it’s nothing. He has become a threat to national security,” he stated, adding, “Keep the army out of your politics.”

Raising questions over how Khan was reportedly holding political meetings from jail, the military spokesperson asked, “Which law is it under which a prisoner meets people and crafts a narrative against the state and the armed forces of Pakistan?”

The remarks come amid heightened tensions between the former ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the military establishment. Khan has recently accused Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir of pursuing “disastrous” policies and intentionally escalating tensions with Afghanistan, claiming the chief is acting to “appease Western powers” rather than protect national interests.

As the confrontation intensifies, the military has signaled a zero-tolerance approach to any rhetoric it views as undermining state institutions,  particularly the army.