Second Open Letter to the Chief of Army Staff by Former Prime Minister Imran Khan - February 8, 2025 “I wrote an open letter to the Chief of Army Staff (you) with sincerity and in the best interest of the nation, aiming to bridge the widening gulf between the military and the people. However, the response to my letter was highly dismissive and irresponsible. I am the former Prime Minister of Pakistan and the leader of the country’s largest and most popular political party. I have spent my entire life elevating the name of Pakistan on the global stage. 55 years of my public life since 1970 and what I earned in the last 30 years is all transparent for everyone to see. My life and death are inextricably linked to Pakistan. My concern is for the perception of our army and the serious consequences of the growing divide between the people and their armed forces, which is what prompted me to write the letter. I highlighted six key points in my letter, and if public opinion is sought, 90% of the people would agree with them. The manipulation of election results through pre-poll rigging orchestrated by intelligence agencies, the forced passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment in Parliament at gunpoint to take control of the judiciary and appoint handpicked judges, the imposition of draconian legislation like the amendments to PECA laws to silence dissent, the economic devastation caused by political instability and the rule of force, the persistent targeting of the largest political party through state terrorism, and the engagement of state institutions in political engineering and victimization instead of fulfilling their constitutional duties, are all deepening the rift between the people and the military. The army is a vital institution of the country, but a few black sheep within it are causing severe damage to its reputation. One such individual, a colonel stationed at Adiala Jail, is blatantly violating the constitution, the law, and prison regulations while trampling on human rights. He disregards court orders with impunity and behaves like an 'occupying force'. The former, conscientious, Superintendent of Adiala Jail, Akram, was abducted and tortured for upholding the law and ensuring adherence to prison rules. Now, the entire prison staff is being intimidated. Under the orders of this colonel, in blatant violation of fundamental rights, the prison administration has subjected me to relentless persecution to exert pressure on me. I was placed in solitary confinement in a death-row cell for 20 days, where even the light of the sun could not reach. Electricity to my cell was cut off for five consecutive days, leaving me in total darkness. My exercise equipment, television, and even access to newspapers was taken away. Even outside those 20 days, books are arbitrarily withheld, or I am placed in lockdown again for 40 hours at a time. In defiance of court orders, I have only been allowed to speak to my sons three times in the last six months, depriving me of my fundamental and legal rights. My party members travel long distances to visit me, yet they are denied access despite court directives. In the past six months, only a handful of individuals have been allowed to meet me. Despite clear orders from the Islamabad High Court, I am not permitted to meet my wife, who is also in solitary confinement. The forced passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment was aimed at controlling the judiciary, recruiting handpicked judges, and suppressing election fraud and human rights violations. My legal cases are being decided under extreme pressure. I have been sentenced in four cases through unlawful convictions. The pressure on judges is so intense that one judge’s blood pressure spiked five times, requiring hospitalization in the prison hospital. That judge confided in my lawyer that immense pressure was exerted from the "top" to convict me and my wife. Extreme violence was unleashed on our unarmed pro-democracy supporters on May 9th (2023) and November 26th (2024). Peaceful civilians were directly shot at. Over the past three years, state security agencies have raided the homes of hundreds of thousands of our supporters, arrested over 20,000 of them, abducted and tortured many, and detained thousands on baseless charges for months. Under pressure from state agencies, more than 2,000 bail petitions for our supporters and party leaders remain indefinitely delayed in high courts. The treatment meted out to our women over the past three years is shameful and disgraceful. Never in Pakistan’s history have the families of politicians been targeted in this manner. This highlights the moral decline of our society. Elderly women and young girls have been imprisoned. My wife (Bushra Bibi), Dr. Yasmin Rashid — a 75-year-old cancer patient — my sisters, both over 65 years old, and hundreds of other women have been unjustly detained, violating their dignity. During the time of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), women, the elderly, and children were not harassed. Islam prohibits mistreatment of even the enemy’s women and children during war, yet, our own mothers, sisters, and daughters are not spared here. This is against our traditions and has fueled growing resentment against the military, which, if not addressed promptly, could lead to irreversible damage to both the army and the country. The draconian amendments to the PECA law have been used to curb social media and internet freedoms. As a result, Pakistan’s GSP Plus status is now at risk. Disruptions to the internet have caused billions of dollars in losses to our IT industry and destroyed career opportunities for the youth. By dishonoring the people’s mandate to satisfy the whims of a few individuals, a political crisis has been engineered, plunging the economy into chaos. Investors and skilled professionals are fleeing the country with their capital. Economic instability is at its peak. Growth has stagnated, and investment in Pakistan has dwindled to negligible levels. Poverty and unemployment are soaring. Our soldiers are sacrificing their lives for Pakistan. Success in the war against terrorism requires the unwavering support of the people for the military. However, due to the establishment’s policies and these unlawful actions, military’s reputation is steadily deteriorating. These are violations of the military’s oath. No country’s army treats its own citizens in this manner — such behavior is typical of occupying forces that consider themselves above all laws and constitutions. For national stability and security, it is imperative to bridge the growing divide between the armed forces and the people. There is only one way to achieve this: the military must return to its constitutional boundaries, disengage from politics, and focus on its designated duties. The military must take this step itself; otherwise, this widening gulf will become a national security fault line.”