By Staff Reporter
PESHAWAR: Supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan rallied on Sunday to defend him against accusations from the military that his criticism of the armed forces posed a threat to national security, vowing that efforts to discredit him would only bolster his standing among the public.
The rally, held at Peshawar’s Sports Complex in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, drew leaders from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, and its ally, the Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayeen-i-Pakistan.
Participants condemned recent remarks by military officials and called for accountability, framing the dispute as a broader struggle for constitutional rule and democratic norms in a country long marked by tensions between civilian politicians and the powerful military establishment. “Further attempts to malign” Khan would only cause his popularity to rise “with each narrative orchestrated against him,” the PTI said in a statement issued during the event.
The gathering came amid escalating verbal clashes between Khan’s allies and government officials, following a Friday press conference by Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the director general of the military’s Inter-Services Public Relations wing. General Chaudhry accused the imprisoned PTI founder of fostering “anti-army” rhetoric that had evolved from political discourse into a “national security threat.”
Khan, who was ousted from office in a no-confidence vote in 2022 and has been jailed since 2023 on charges he denies, including corruption and inciting violence, remains a polarising figure. His party insists he was the rightful winner of elections held on Feb. 8, 2024, despite official results showing a coalition government led by rivals from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
At the rally, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, the chief of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and TTAP, addressed the crowd, attributing the harsh language against Khan to “undemocratic elements” fearful of genuine political movements. “Pakistan is our country, and we will make all efforts to save it from disintegration,” Achakzai said. He added that his party and its allies sought a Pakistan “where no one harms others, where people with different schools of thought could live together peacefully, and this country moves forward with constitutional supremacy and rule of law.”
Achakzai also issued a warning against imposing governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a measure that would suspend the provincial government and place it under federal control, saying it would lead to “negative consequences.”
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s chief minister, Sohail Afridi, a PTI loyalist, told participants that his party bore no responsibility for the lack of peace in the region, blaming it instead on the state’s security policies. Since taking office, he said, he had fulfilled “all legal and constitutional obligations,” but a “different narrative” was being constructed against him, with elements portraying the PTI as embracing “confrontational politics.”
A resolution passed at the rally, introduced by PTI lawmaker Sher Ali Arbab, declared: “We, the people of Pakistan, consider Imran Khan a national hero and the elected and genuine prime minister of Pakistan, who was elected by the people on February 8, 2024. We categorically reject that he or his associates are in any way a threat to national security.”
The resolution registered “strong protest” against the recent remarks targeting Khan, calling such language against a political leader “against the principles of civil supremacy of Quaid-i-Azam,” a reference to Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. It also condemned the labelling of those with “dissenting political opinions” as a “growing threat to national security.”
The PTI announced plans for another rally in the southern district of Kohat on Dec. 14, signalling its intent to sustain momentum in the face of mounting pressure. The rally’s defiant tone drew swift rebukes from government officials and leaders of other parties, who accused Khan and the PTI of undermining the armed forces and stoking instability.
The exchanges show the deepening rift in Pakistan’s political landscape, where Khan’s imprisonment has not diminished his influence among supporters who view him as a victim of a military-backed conspiracy. Critics, including the current coalition government, portray his rhetoric as a dangerous bid to erode institutional authority in a nation grappling with economic woes, militancy and fragile democratic institutions.
The military, which has ruled Pakistan for much of its history, has long been accused by politicians like Khan of meddling in civilian affairs, though it denies such claims.
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