The advisor of the Prime Minister on political and public affairs Rana Sanaullah said Thursday that the letters sent to the chief of the staff of the army (COAS) Asim provided by the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-E-insaf (PTI), Imran Khan were an attempt “Distributing anti-Berm propaganda.”
His remarks followed an informal statement from the army chief earlier during the day, who denied having received any letter from the former prisoned Prime Minister. General Munnir said that even if he should receive such a letter, he would not read it.
Responding to this, Sanaullah said that the army chief had provided a “brief and complete” response “to Khan’s open letters. Addressing a local television channel, he characterized the open letters of the former Prime Minister as part of a “story against” the army.
He suggested that the founder of the PTI used such tactics to push his propaganda. According to the help of the PM, the letters were first issued to the media, a decision he described as aiming to disseminate a false story.
The chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) also rejected the idea that these letters were an attempt at stolen door talks, saying that PTI had no intention of apologizing for his anti-military position or The events of May 9, 2023.
Meanwhile, PTI’s parliamentary chief, Senator Ali Zafar, defended open letters, stressing that it was Imran Khan’s right as a former Prime Minister to raise concerns.
He also argued that open letters are a common practice on a global scale and that the purpose of these letters was not necessarily to expect an answer.
Khan, who has been imprisoned since August 2023 for accusations ranging from corruption to terrorism, wrote three letters open to COA.
The most recent letter has reiterated the allegations of electoral rigging and manipulation, Khan accusing the government of bringing “whitens” to power. The letter has raised concerns concerning the preferential treatment of minorities to the majority of electoral processes.
In his previous letters, Khan underlined an increasing distance between the army and the public, urging the army to reassess its policies and to adopt suggestions to improve its public image. He presented six points, seeking a reassessment of the military approach in order to win back public support.
The Letters have Taken on Added meaning since Pti Halted Negotiations with the PML-N-Led Government, where the party had asked for the training of judicial commissions to investigate the event of may 9, 2023, and November 2024, as well as the release of All political prisoners, including Khan.
In December 2024, the director general of inter-service inter-service public relations Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry answered questions on potential stolen door talks between PTI and the army, declaring that no personal aspiration of the political leader should pray on the national interests of Pakistan.