PTI rejects ‘security threat label, allegations’ against Imran Khan, demands respect for democracy

• Salman Akram Raja terms DG ISPR remarks ‘unfortunate and baseless,’ recalls historical attempts to sideline popular leaders
• Warns against national consequences if KP government undermined, calling for ‘grand dialogue’ to prevent democratic backsliding
• Barrister Gohar urges easing of tone and de-escalation, stressing Imran Khan enjoys support of 70% of the nation
• Laments ‘growing censorship, erosion of democratic norms and politicisation of state institutions following recent constitutional amendments

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday strongly rejected what it termed “ridiculous” and “deeply unfortunate” remarks by the military’s spokesperson against party founder and former prime minister Imran Khan, asserting that he was not a “national security threat” and warning that such narratives risk further weakening democracy at a time of intense political strain.

In a measured yet firm response to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) press conference a day earlier, senior PTI leaders called for restraint, easing of tone and a grand national dialogue, while lamenting what they described as “growing censorship, erosion of democratic norms and politicisation of state institutions following recent constitutional amendments.”

On Friday, ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, in a strongly worded press conference, accused Imran Khan of creating and spreading an “anti-army” narrative, stating that such rhetoric had gone beyond politics and assumed the character of a “national security threat.”

The remarks triggered an immediate backlash from the PTI leadership, which convened an “unusual” press conference at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) House in Islamabad to respond without escalating tensions.

PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, addressing the media, said the accusations against Imran Khan were baseless and dangerous. “Do not drive away the people of Pakistan; they stand with Imran Khan and the PTI,” he said. “Imran Khan is not a national security threat. He has kept the people united.”

Raja argued that while the country was home to many divisive narratives—ethnic, sectarian and otherwise — Imran Khan had consistently rejected them in favour of what he called a unifying national narrative of Pakistan. “For God’s sake, don’t do this,” he urged, warning that attempts to politically “minus” Imran Khan would not succeed and could instead damage national cohesion. He cautioned that removing the elected government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to replace it with an unelected setup would have serious consequences, for which those taking such steps would bear responsibility.

Calling the DG ISPR’s press conference “unfortunate,” Raja said the PTI had no intention of responding to allegations in a confrontational manner. “Today we are being told that the country’s most popular leader is a national security threat—which is ridiculous—but this is not the first time such claims have been made,” he said.

عمران خان National Security Threat نہیں ہے , عمران خان نے اس ملک کو جوڑ کے رکھا ہوا ہے- عمران خان نے کروڑوں نوجوانوں کو اس بیانیہ کے ساتھ جوڑ کر رکھا ہوا ہے جو اس ملک کے لیے ریڑھ کی ہڈی رکھتا ہے ورنہ اور بہت سارے بیانیے ہیں ۔

سلمان اکرم راجہ pic.twitter.com/5MydxhXiy2

— PTI (@PTIofficial) December 6, 2025

Drawing parallels with the 1990s, Raja recalled how state institutions had repeatedly attempted to sideline former prime minister Benazir Bhutto by branding popular leaders as threats to national security. “These efforts never succeeded,” he said, adding that leaders could not be removed from the hearts of the people through administrative decisions. “We are not mad. We know who has always been in control in this country,” he remarked, asserting that the nation had historically recognized such manoeuvring.

Setting the broader context, Raja said Pakistan’s history was replete with moments when democracy was replaced by authoritarianism under the promise of prosperity, only for those experiments to fail. He noted that democracy and constitutionalism had repeatedly been dismissed as unsuitable for the country, yet “every ruler left the country weaker than before.”

کل کی پریس کانفرنس کا جواب دینے نہیں بیٹھے, وہ ایک افسوس ناک گفتگو تھی کل کوئی پرمغظ گفتگو نہیں تھی کل صرف دشنام طرازی تھی-
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— PTI (@PTIofficial) December 6, 2025

He said the PTI was often ridiculed as a disorganised party lacking understanding, but questioned whether forced development through coercive power had ever succeeded. “If that was the solution, Pakistan would have been developed long ago,” he added.

Raja stressed that the country urgently needed a “grand dialogue” involving the people to prevent repetition of past mistakes. Warning of democratic backsliding, he said recent constitutional amendments and what he described as the subjugation of the judiciary represented a regression even worse than some previous periods of military rule.

He also criticised increasing censorship, saying those who spoke freely risked being booked under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), facing inquiries and trials. He cited proceedings against lawyer couple Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha as examples.

Despite his criticism, Raja said the PTI remained ready for dialogue, emphasising that the people of KP and their elected chief minister must not be mocked or undermined. “Do not put the future of the country or KP at stake in this battle of narratives,” he said, highlighting the province’s sensitivity amid the prevailing security situation and terrorism concerns. “The PTI is the biggest force in the country that can take it towards betterment.”

Raja also addressed criticism from within the party’s support base, including pressure on PTI’s leadership and social media wing to respond aggressively. “We are sitting because the country is dear to us, and we don’t want discord,” he said, adding that while it was easy to respond to a brick with a stone, the PTI would refrain in the national interest.

Former National Assembly speaker and PTI MNA Asad Qaiser echoed Raja’s concerns, saying the ISPR chief’s words had sparked anger in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Your words should have been appropriate,” he said, adding that the remarks had left an entire province feeling disrespected and should be withdrawn.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali also criticised the military spokesperson’s remarks, terming them “inappropriate and wrong” and “unfortunate for democracy.” He cautioned that such public exchanges only benefited unnamed adversaries. “There is an enemy of ours who will be pleased by press conferences against each other,” he said, explaining that the PTI had deliberately chosen not to hold a confrontational briefing.

Barrister Gohar warned that history showed “the beginning of any great destruction is always due to a few inappropriate words,” calling for egos to be set aside and space to be given for dialogue. He urged that tensions be defused, including allowing a scheduled meeting with Imran Khan on Tuesday and refraining from politicising his meetings with family members.

کل کی پریس کانفرنس میں جو الفاظ استعمال ہوئے بلخصوص تحریک انصاف کی قیادت اور وزیر اعلیٰ خیبر پختونخوا کے خلاف استعمال ہوئے نہایت قابل افسوس تھے ایک ادارے کے افسر کی جانب سے ایسے الفاظ استعمال نہیں ہونے چاہیے تھے۔@BarristerGohar
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— PTI (@PTIofficial) December 6, 2025

He stressed that the country deserved stability and prosperity, warning that if the current trajectory continued, “it won’t be minus-one, but minus-everyone,” a scenario he said must be avoided.

At the outset of the press conference, Barrister Gohar said the PTI’s response would carry a “different tone.” “We are not here to respond to a brick with a stone, but it is important to place facts before the people,” he said, noting that serious charges had been levelled against the party.

Reiterating PTI’s popular mandate, he claimed the party remained Pakistan’s largest political force, with Imran Khan enjoying the support of 70 percent of the population. He recounted what he described as systematic political targeting, saying the PTI’s parliamentary strength had been reduced from 180 seats to 91 and then to 76, with reserved seats taken away and violence witnessed against women and children.

Despite these challenges, Barrister Gohar said the PTI had endured in the interest of democracy and rule of law, reaffirming that Imran Khan had always maintained that both Pakistan and its army belonged to the people. He added that even during the past year’s turmoil, the party had stood by the nation and the military.

Referring to the passage of the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments, he said the PTI had hoped tensions might ease, but the latest ISPR press conference had been “deeply disappointing.” Highlighting delays in Imran Khan’s legal proceedings, he said the party’s demands had gradually narrowed from seeking his release to merely requesting meetings be permitted.

“All that we endured was for the sake of democracy and the country,” he said, warning that if the prevailing atmosphere and treatment continued, democracy itself would suffer the greatest loss.