Pakistan Army and Imran Khan Exchange "Mentally Ill" Accusations in Escalating Political Conflict

Pakistan's military launched a forceful response on Friday following imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's characterization of the army chief as "mentally unstable." The military reciprocated by labeling Khan "mentally ill" and claimed he was using family visits and social media to launch attacks against the armed forces and foment instability.

During a televised press conference, military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry described a figure he didn't explicitly name as a "narcissist" whose political ambitions had become so extreme that he believed, "If I am not in power, nothing else should exist."

Chaudhry asserted that visitors meeting Khan in prison were being utilized "to spread poison against the army." This statement followed a visit from one of Khan's sisters, who subsequently informed reporters that her brother was deeply angered with Gen. Asim Munir.

These comments emerged just one day after Khan posted on X, referring to Munir as a "mentally unstable person" and accusing him of orchestrating "the complete collapse of the Constitution and rule of law in Pakistan."

In his post, Khan further claimed that both he and his wife had been incarcerated "at his command" on fabricated charges, and stated he was being held in isolation and subjected to psychological pressure tactics.

Khan's spokesperson, Zulfiquar Bukhari, characterized the military's press conference as an emotional outburst intended to intimidate Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Bukhari described it as an attempt to justify an intensified crackdown and escalate what he termed mental torture during detention.

"They have already banned meetings with him going forward," Bukhari added.

The 73-year-old PTI leader has remained in custody since a 2023 corruption conviction and faces numerous additional legal challenges. During the briefing, Chaudhry displayed Khan's recent X post, insisting that media outlets had amplified the "nonsense" of a "mentally ill person" and asserting that Khan's allegations against Munir were unfounded.

This confrontation occurs shortly after President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved Munir's promotion to the newly established position of chief of defence forces, a role designed to enhance coordination across Pakistan's military branches.

Chaudhry accused Khan of attempting to stir animosity toward the military, stating, "We will not allow anyone to create rifts between Pakistan's military and its people." He emphasized that constitutional rights have limitations, particularly regarding threats to national security.

The spokesperson reiterated the military's longstanding claim connecting Khan to the May 9, 2023, attacks on military installations, including the Rawalpindi headquarters. "Was it not this same individual who orchestrated those attacks?" he questioned.

The violence erupted following Khan's arrest that year, when thousands of his supporters stormed military and government facilities. Khan has consistently denied involvement in these incidents.

Chaudhry clarified that decisions regarding potential bans on Khan's party fall under civilian government authority rather than military jurisdiction. He portrayed Khan's alleged anti-military rhetoric as a threat to national stability and accused PTI of operating "in deep collusion with external actors."

Khan was removed from office in an April 2022 no-confidence vote. His party, now in opposition, maintains that the 2024 parliamentary elections were manipulated to favor Prime Minister Sharif, an allegation denied by Pakistan's government.