Pakistan Military Chief Asim Munir Seeks War With India While Imran Khan Advocates Peace, Claims Aleema Khan

Aleema Khan, sister of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, has made startling claims about Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Asim Munir in a recent interview with Sky News on 'The World with Yalda Hakim'.

According to Aleema, Asim Munir is a "radicalised Islamist" who "yearns for war with India," while her brother Imran Khan consistently attempts to establish friendly relations with India.

When questioned about the India-Pakistan conflict in May, Aleema criticized Munir, stating: "Asim Munir is a very radicalised Islamist and Islamic conservatist. This is the reason why he yearns for a war with India. His Islamic radicalisation and conservatism force him to fight against those who don't believe in Islam."

She described her brother as a "pure liberal," explaining, "Whenever Imran Khan comes to power, you will see that he always tries to befriend India, and even BJP. Whenever there is this radical Islamist, Asim Munir, you will see that there will be war with India and not just India, even the allies of India will suffer."

Aleema also referred to her brother as an "asset" and urged western powers to increase efforts to secure his release from imprisonment.

On May 7, India conducted precision strikes on nine terrorist bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as a response to the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, which resulted in 26 civilian casualties, including a Nepalese national. India clarified that the operation, codenamed 'Operation Sindoor,' did not target Pakistani military infrastructure or civilian establishments.

The tension between Munir and Khan reportedly dates back to 2019 when Munir expressed interest in investigating corruption allegations surrounding Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, and her associates. This allegedly displeased Khan, who was Prime Minister at the time, leading to Munir's removal as Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) after only eight months in what was supposed to be a three-year position. The army provided no explanation for this personnel change.

Imran Khan, founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), has been imprisoned since August 2023 following convictions in multiple cases. Currently held in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, concerns about his well-being have circulated after his family claimed they were prevented from visiting him for over a month.

Recently, Dr. Uzma Khanum, another of Khan's sisters, had a 20-minute meeting with him in Adiala Jail. After the visit, she reported that the PTI chief is being "mentally tortured," stating, "Alhamdulillah, he is all right... but he was angry about being mentally tortured. He is locked in his cell all day... can only step out for short periods. And he can't communicate with anyone." She added that her brother blames General Asim Munir for his imprisonment and conditions.

Aleema believes Pakistani authorities are isolating Khan to "suppress the people of Pakistan." In her interview, she emphasized, "I think they are operating out of fear. He represents 90% of this country. How can you put a person who represents 90% of the country in jail? They basically want to suppress the people of Pakistan. They don't want their voice to be heard and they are standing behind Imran Khan. They thought if they isolated [him] people will forget him."