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December 12, 2025
DG ISPR Lashes out at Imran's 'Anti-Army' Narrative, Dubs It 'National Threat'
Rawalpindi: DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry assailed incarcerated former premier Imran Khan, on Friday, calling him a "threat to national security" and warning that no one will be allowed to incite the public against the armed forces.
He said that Khan's 'anti-army' rhetoric has crossed the limits of politics and now poses a direct threat to the nation's security.
He described Imran as a 'sick-minded person' and maintained 'They [PTI] have a comical obsession with the Pakistan Army. They don't talk about real issues, and that is their entire politics.'
Highlighting the growing influence of one individual, he said, 'One person's ambitions are greater than the state itself. The armed forces serve as a shield between the public and extremist ideologies. That individual's political relevance has ended; he should focus on his own politics and keep the military out of it.'
'We cannot allow them to establish the business of fake news and lies in the country," insisted Gen Chaudhry, adding that a dangerous narrative is being propagated. 'This narrative that the military is the state is false. The military is not the state; the government is supreme.' – The Express Tribune
Dawn adds: At the beginning of his press conference in Rawalpindi, he talked about a “creeping national security threat” that had become necessary for the military to address.
“That threat emanates 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,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said, in an apparent reference to incarcerated PTI founder, Imran Khan.
“His ego, his wishes, and frustrations have grown to such an extent that he thinks that the world would cease to exist without him.”
The DG ISPR added that it would be “a bit strange to see it coming from me, but the narrative that person is pushing is no more about politics now but has become a matter of national security.”
According to Lt Gen Chaudhry, it was “very important” for the military’s media wing to clarify, remove all ambiguities and doubts, and say what needs to be said. “We need to understand how this narrative is working, and unfortunately, how it is working in deep collusion with external actors.”
He continued: “To understand that, first, I will set the stage by repeating something that the armed forces have been saying again and again, that we are the armed forces of Pakistan, we don’t represent any ethnicity, don’t represent any language, religious inclination, political thought or school of thought. We have people from all areas of Pakistan, all religions, all sects, all languages, and all political views, but we put all that aside once we wear this uniform.
“That is our pride, that is our honour; we strive, we die daily not for some language, area or political viewpoint. We strive and die on a daily basis for the people of Pakistan, for the integrity of Pakistan. And that we say very clearly, and we also don’t come from the elite class of Pakistan, we belong to the middle, lower-middle, and the poor socio-economic classes; we do not carry the flag of any political actor, class or elitism. This is your armed forces, and we are absolutely clear about the character of the armed forces of Pakistan, starting from a soldier all the way up to his field marshal,” he said.
The DG ISPR added that if someone attacked the armed forces and its leadership for the sake of their ego, delusional mindset and narcissistic way of thinking, “then we will also come and fight bare-knuckle, there should be no doubt about that,” he said.
Lt Gen Chaudhry then pointed out ways in which Imran’s rhetoric was harming the armed forces.“First, no one can be allowed to create fissures between the people and the armed forces of Pakistan. Why? Because this is the only armed force that you have. You don’t have a choice; this country doesn’t have any other armed forces. You can have an opinion or observation about the forces, and if that could be a constructive observation or criticism, you are most welcome to do that. But that doesn’t allow you to instigate or provoke the people of Pakistan against the army and try to create a gap between the two.”
He said that it was the armed forces that were standing between the Hindutva mindset in India and their hegemonic design, and the people of Pakistan.
“It is these armed forces that are standing between the khawarij, terrorists, fitna al-khawarij, fitna al-Hindustan operating from Afghanistan and the people, and we also know for a fact that every country has an army. It is a famous saying that there will always be an army in a country, but if it is not yours, it will be your enemy’s. So, the one who attacks their own army and its leadership, is he trying to create space for someone else’s army? What is his design? Why is he trying to do that?
Continuing to assail the PTI founder, the DG ISPR said that whenever someone meets “this person”, he keeps aside the law, Constitution and rules and plays the narrative against the state of Pakistan, especially the armed forces of Pakistan and its leadership.
“Tell me, under which law, rules and Constitution can this be allowed? Which politics in Pakistan allows you to go and meet a convict, and a narrative is continuously built from there against their own country’s armed forces? Which constitutional provision allows this?” Lt Gen Chaudhry questioned, referring to PTI’s demand to allow them to meet Imran at Adiala Jail, where he’s been imprisoned since 2023.
“You talk about Article 17 of the Constitution and freedom of expression, it clearly says that freedom of expression and political activity are permitted, subject to reasonable restrictions. Under reasonable restrictions, nothing can be allowed that will be against the security and integrity of the state.
“It is clear to us that what is happening, why it is happening and why it is being carried out. We need to tell that this business of lies and deception will not continue anymore in Pakistan. This cannot be allowed.”
DG Chaudhry said that if anyone thought their person and politics were bigger than the country’s security, they would be wrong to do so.
“The Pakistan Army is standing and will keep on standing. We are not going anywhere. We have taken an oath for the protection of this state.”
The military spokesperson also criticized the KP chief minister and said no one talked about the province’s governance from the PTI but kept focusing on the army.
“If the barking dog barks, don’t pay attention to it.” - Dawn
Courtesy Dawn
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