From his prison cell, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed escalating criticism of Pakistan army chief Asim Munir’s drive to seize political power, according to multiple sources who remain in close touch with Khan.
The communications include new allegations about Khan’s history with Munir. According to those in touch with the imprisoned prime minister, Khan is making new allegations that Munir violated an agreement to remain neutral in Pakistani politics in exchange for Khan accepting his appointment as army chief.
Imran Khan is making new allegations that Asim Munir violated an agreement to remain neutral in Pakistani politics in exchange for Khan accepting his appointment as army chief.
The deposed prime minister also alleges that Munir conspired with his civilian political rivals, including former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, to cooperate against him in exchange for dropping corruption charges that had forced Sharif into exile.
The escalating personal conflict between Khan and Munir also looms large in the communications. Khan alleges that Munir ordered agents of Pakistan’s notorious intelligence service to kill him and that the general covered up assassination attempts by squashing a police probe and burying CCTV footage.
The allegations from Khan about Munir come as the general has continued amassing political power and leading a brutal crackdown on rival political parties, activists, and the press in Pakistan.
The crackdown included the removal and imprisonment of Khan, Pakistan’s most popular politician; violence and arrests targeting his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, party; and a rigged election this February.
Khan’s fate remains the biggest unanswered question in the country’s politics, which the prison communiques suggest are driven by acrimony between him and Munir.
“Pakistan’s military ruler Asim Munir is now targeting American families of pro-democracy activists.”
With transnational repression reaching the U.S. — the military reportedly detained Pakistan-based family members of rivals living in the U.S. and Canada — the crackdown is drawing increasingly stronger condemnations from American officials.
Last week, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., issued a video statement condemning the targeting of family members of Americans and called for sanctions to be placed on Pakistani military leaders including Munir.
Assassination Attempts
Khan’s allegations about Munir were shared with The Intercept by a number of sources close to him who requested anonymity to protect their security.
In the communications, Khan alleges the existence of CCTV footage and other evidence showing that Munir concocted a scheme to have Khan killed at a tumultuous court appearance on March 18, 2023.
Khan’s car was mobbed by spectators on the way to court, some of whom, Khan alleges, were Inter-Services Intelligence agents dressed in civilian clothes. The attempt on his life, Khan says, was only thwarted by a crowd of PTI supporters who surrounded his car.
Khan also offered his own narrative on a November 2022 incident when he was wounded in a shooting attack at a political rally that killed one of his supporters. The Pakistani government detained a single person for the attack, whom officials claimed had been motivated by religious extremism.
According to sources close to the former prime minister, Khan accused Munir of being behind a cover-up of the incident. The general, he claims, blocked an independent probe into the attack and that eyewitness accounts pointed to the involvement of multiple assailants.
Photo: Farooq Naeem/AFP via Getty Images
Munir’s Political Plays
Pakistan has been held hostage to the political clash between Khan and Munir, with the former prime minister now imprisoned on charges widely seen as politicized.
Khan claims that Munir bargained with his civilian political rivals, including Sharif, the former prime minister, to spare them from corruption charges. In exchange, the politicians like Sharif supported jailing Khan and cracking down on his party.
Khan claims Munir bargained with his civilian political rivals, including former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, to spare them from corruption charges.
The crackdown — extrajudicial killings, torture, mass detentions, and other sweeping measures aimed at dismantling the PTI — has so far failed to dim Khan’s popularity. In elections this February, candidates affiliated with PTI won sweeping support, according to exit polls, before electoral rigging engineered by the military allowed a coalition government of Khan’s opposition to form.
Khan characterizes the events as a betrayal by Munir. In Khan’s telling, according to the sources close to him, the prime minister’s downfall was precipitated after Munir reneged on an agreement.
Khan asserts that the then-President Arif Alvi, a senior member of his party, had the authority to prevent Munir from assuming the top military position in the country but allowed it to proceed after assurances from the general’s representatives that he would not interfere in politics.
Munir, like previous Pakistani military leaders, wields significant influence in the country’s political landscape.
Khan’s legal situation remains uncertain after serious corruption and espionage charges against him were dismissed in court. He is currently detained solely on allegations of violating religious guidelines by marrying his third wife improperly.
The PTI continues to clash with the military establishment, with efforts to resolve Pakistan’s ongoing political crisis proving unsuccessful.
Deepening Crackdown — and Crises
Khan was ousted by his military and civilian opponents in a 2022 no-confidence vote reportedly influenced by pressure from the U.S. regarding the prime minister’s foreign policy decisions.
Since Khan’s removal, Pakistan has been grappling with a series of economic and political challenges that have brought the nation to a standstill.
Despite Khan and PTI being sidelined, the military persists in suppressing freedom of speech. This year, the military blocked social media platforms and denounced “digital terrorism.” There are also discussions about implementing a national internet firewall.
Khan’s safety is believed to be at risk by his supporters, who have urged Senator Chuck Schumer to intervene on his behalf with the Pakistani government.
In addition to accusing Munir of betrayal and attempted murder, Khan, from prison, has expressed concerns that the general is steering the country towards a repeat of the 1971 partition, which resulted in the creation of Bangladesh after a military-led crackdown and massacre following disputed election results.
Correction: June 27, 2024, 2:47 p.m. ET
An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Imran Khan was prime minister when Asim Munir assumed his position. The story has been updated to clarify that Arif Alvi was president at that time.
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