- DG Lt-Gen Chaudhry calls Imran Khan a ‘mental patient’ with a ‘delusional mindset’ driving anti-state rhetoric
- Says campaign against army has crossed from ‘politics into national security,’ warning narratives amplified by foreign media, RAW-linked networks and overseas troll farms
- Asserts armed forces reflect all ethnic, sectarian, and socio-economic classes of Pakistan
- Cites attempts to block remittances, IMF letter and civil disobedience as destabilisation tactics
- Links rhetoric to adversarial interests in Delhi, Afghan Khawarij facilitators, and coordinated nodes abroad
- Questions PTI’s KP governance, calls appeasement of militants disastrous
- Congratulates nation on operationalising Chief of Defence Forces HQ, calls it ‘monumental’
- Declares army’s loyalty unwavering: ‘We stand with Pakistan—and we are not going anywhere’
RAWALPINDI: In one of the most forceful and expansive briefings delivered by the military’s media wing in recent years, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Friday launched an unprecedented and blistering critique of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, branding him a “mental patient” driven by a “delusional mindset” and warning that the anti-army rhetoric being created and spread by him had crossed “far beyond the sphere of politics and entered the domain of national security.”
Declaring the evolving situation a “creeping national security threat,” the military’s spokesperson said openly that such narratives—especially those amplified by foreign networks, hostile intelligence-linked media outlets, and coordinated social media nodes abroad—posed a direct challenge to Pakistan’s cohesion and stability.
Opening his press conference in Rawalpindi, Lt Gen Chaudhry said the threat in question was “emanating from a delusional mindset of a delusional person who has become captive to his own ego, thinking that his wishes are bigger than those of the state of Pakistan.”
Without naming him, the reference was unequivocally aimed at Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned since 2023. The DG ISPR said this individual’s ego had reached a point where “he thinks the world would cease to exist without him,” adding that the anti-state rhetoric being generated “is no longer political—it has become a national security issue.”
He explained that it had become “very important” for the ISPR to clarify ambiguities, identify how the narrative was working, and highlight “deep collusion with external actors.” Before detailing those concerns, the DG ISPR reaffirmed that the armed forces represented all of Pakistan—across ethnicity, language, sect, and socio-economic background—and that the institution’s strength stemmed from its unity under a single uniform.
“We strive and die daily not for some language, area or political viewpoint,” he said. “We belong to the middle, lower-middle, and poor socio-economic classes; we do not carry the flag of any political actor or elitism.”
Lt Gen Chaudhry warned that if the armed forces were attacked for the sake of someone’s ego or narcissism, “then we will also come and fight bare-knuckle; there should be no doubt about that.” He repeated that the military respected all political parties and personalities, but firmly reiterated its request: “Please keep your politics away from the armed forces of Pakistan.”
The DG ISPR then spelled out how, according to him, Imran Khan’s rhetoric was harming Pakistan. “First, no one can be allowed to create fissures between the people and the armed forces,” he said. “You don’t have a choice; this country doesn’t have any other armed forces.” Constructive criticism was welcome, he added, but instigating people against the military crossed into dangerous territory.
He pointed to multiple threats the armed forces were managing simultaneously, from the “Hindutva mindset” across the eastern border to terrorist outfits and what he described as “fitna al-khawarij” operating from Afghanistan. He questioned the intent behind attempts to target the military and its leadership: “Is he trying to create space for someone else’s army? What is his design?”
Lt Gen Chaudhry said that whenever someone met Imran Khan in prison, “he keeps aside the law, Constitution and rules, and plays the narrative against the state of Pakistan, especially the armed forces.” He questioned what constitutional clause allowed continual meetings that resulted in anti-army messaging: “Under reasonable restrictions, nothing can be allowed that will be against the security and integrity of the state.”
Citing examples, he accused Imran of encouraging actions that could destabilize Pakistan: “He has been spinning this narrative by trying to stop remittances… he then writes a letter to the IMF asking them not to enter into any agreement… he resorts to civil disobedience and doesn’t pay electricity bills so that anarchy is spread.”
The DG ISPR referenced Operation Bunyanum Marsoos and Marka-i-Haq, saying the same army that defended Pakistan during those critical junctures was now being targeted for political motives. He questioned who truly benefited from such a narrative, suggesting that its origin aligned with adversarial interests in Delhi.
The DG ISPR also displayed a video clip of Imran’s anti-army social media posts, stating that troll accounts amplifying these messages originated largely from outside Pakistan and were being boosted by Indian media and accounts linked to RAW. “The Indian media is reporting against your army chief with such happiness,” he said. “Why are they spending so much money on spreading the narrative of this delusional mindset?”
He said Afghan social-media accounts—“facilitators of the khawarij”—were similarly circulating these narratives. According to him, this alignment demonstrated a clear pattern: “They all operate simultaneously, and then the international media picks up such news, too. It is a collusion because they have the same purpose and the same enemy—the Pakistan Army and its leadership.”
Referring to Imran’s criticism of PTI members who attended a function at the National Defence University (NDU), he said, “By that logic, he is also saying anyone in the ISPR and army is also a traitor.”
The DG ISPR repeatedly emphasised an end to “political trickery,” stating, “You can fool some of the people all the time, you can fool all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time.”
Turning to PTI’s governance in KP, Lt Gen Chaudhry asked why the party focused on the army instead of its performance against terrorism. He questioned whether security could be “sublet” and described policies of appeasement towards militants as disastrous. Citing global examples such as Libya and Gaza, he said: “Had appeasement granted security, they wouldn’t be where they are today.”
He also criticised PTI for calling for talks with terrorists, linking it to what he described as a “terror-crime nexus” and “political patronage.” He said KP’s governance narrative revolved solely around security, while attempts were made to implicate the army in terrorism “so that no one questions them.”
Lt Gen Chaudhry stressed that “this business of lies and deception will not continue anymore,” adding that the army was clear that “anyone’s person and politics cannot be above the state.”
He criticised the KP chief minister and PTI’s overall discourse, rhetorically remarking, “If the barking dog barks, don’t pay attention to it.”
Responding to a question on banning PTI, he said that decision lay with the state, not the military. Regarding the governor’s rule in KP, he stated it was purely a civilian matter.
Moving to institutional matters, the DG ISPR congratulated the nation on the formal operationalization of the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Headquarters—a structure he described as “one of the most important steps” for achieving synergy across all services.
He explained that modern warfare required such jointness, noting that more than 70 countries had similar setups. He emphasized that the CDF headquarters had been established on Parliament’s directives and was a “monumental and great day for the national security of Pakistan.”
DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry 🔴Live Press Conference on @PTVNewsOfficial #DGISPR congratulates the whole nation on the establishment of the new office of the Chief of the Defence Forces (CDF) and the appointment of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), HJ,… pic.twitter.com/hZflxXlIju
— Pakistan Armed Forces News 🇵🇰 (@PakistanFauj) December 5, 2025
Throughout the nearly two-hour briefing, Lt Gen Chaudhry remained categorical that the army’s loyalty was to Pakistan alone, declaring: “We have taken an oath for the protection of this state… The Pakistan Army is standing and will keep on standing. We are not going anywhere.”
