Imran Khan writes third open letter to army chief

(Web Desk): Imran Khan, the incarcerated founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has written a third open letter to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, accusing the government of election rigging and bringing “money launderers” into power. This was confirmed by his lawyer, Faisal Chaudhry, on Wednesday.

In his letter, Khan raised concerns about alleged election fraud, claiming that it gave preference to the minority over the majority. His lawyer, Faisal Chaudhry, explained that the PTI leader had written this letter as part of his ongoing campaign to highlight what he views as an unfair political system.

Imran Khan, who has been in prison since August 2023, had previously sent two open letters to General Asim Munir on February 3 and February 8. In those letters, Khan explained that he was writing because all democratic channels had been closed off to him. In those letters, Khan also highlighted the growing distance between the military and the people, and urged the army to reevaluate its policies to restore public trust.

In today’s statement, Chaudhry quoted Khan as saying that the government had brought “money launderers” into power by rigging elections. Khan also expressed concerns about the rise of terrorism in Pakistan due to the lack of rule of law and governance. He further claimed that at least 1.8 million Pakistanis had left the country, and $20 billion had flown out due to the poor economic conditions.

Additionally, Chaudhry emphasized that PTI still insists on the formation of judicial commissions to investigate the events of May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024. These events are linked to political unrest and violent clashes, and PTI believes that a proper investigation is necessary. Chaudhry also alleged that a crackdown on PTI workers in Punjab continues, even after the general elections held on February 8.

In a separate development, PTI chief whip Aamir Dogar has been included in a new negotiation committee with the opposition. PTI has also added new members to its political committee to continue dialogue with opposition parties.

The letters Imran Khan has sent are significant because PTI had ended negotiations with the PML-N-led government last month. During those talks, PTI had demanded the formation of judicial commissions to investigate the incidents of May 9, 2023, and November 24-27, as well as the release of all political prisoners, including Khan.

The government has reacted strongly to Khan's decision to send letters to the army chief. Prime Minister’s Adviser on Public and Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, accused Imran Khan of trying to create divisions between the military and the public, and sow misunderstandings within the army’s command. Sanaullah also questioned the origin of Khan’s letters from jail and said that if Khan wanted to continue his political struggle, he should do so in the parliament instead of writing letters from prison.