ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former Prime Minister and founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has written an open letter to the country’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), urging a change in policies, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said on Monday.
Speaking to the media, Gohar said that Imran Khan acknowledged the sacrifices of the Pakistan Army.
He added that PTI does not desire instability and reiterated the party’s stance that the army belongs to the nation. Gohar confirmed that the letter to the COAS is an open letter.
Quoting the PTI founder, Barrister Gohar said that his party does not want chaos as “Pakistan Army is ours”.
Elaborating on the letter’s contents, PTI lawyer Faisal Chaudhry said the letter’s first point addresses the conduct of the general elections in the country.
He noted the second point discusses the impact of the 26th Constitutional Amendment on judicial independence and the rule of law. Khan also mentioned the Al-Qadir Trust case judgment in the letter, Chaudhry said.
Faisal Chaudhry said thirdly, the letter criticises the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), describing it as a “black law” that stifles freedom of expression on social media, silences dissent, and has reportedly caused a $2 billion loss to the IT industry. Additionally, it warns that the legislation endangers Pakistan’s GSP Plus status.
Faisal Chaudhry added mentioned the fourth point said, the letter accuses the government of misusing state institutions to suppress the PTI, thereby diverting these entities from their primary duties. It underscores the strategic importance of the western border and acknowledges the sacrifices made by the Pakistani military.
He said fifthly, the letter expresses concern over the disregard for judicial orders and the rule of law. The letter calls for a shift in policies to ensure adherence to the constitution and the law, emphasising the need to end political instability and promote economic stability.
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The letter comes weeks after PTI leaders, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, met with the army chief. According to the party’s chairman, the discussion focused on the overall security situation.
In December last year, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that no political leader’s desire for power should be more important than Pakistan’s interests.
“All political parties and leaders are respectable to us. No individual, his politics and his desire for power are above Pakistan,” he said during a media briefing.
