Senior figures within Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have privately acknowledged that former prime minister Imran Khan’s continued use of harsh, insulting language against the military leadership—particularly through his posts on the social media platform X—played a major role in prompting the strongly worded public response issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Friday.
According to insiders familiar with the matter, the issue was discussed in internal PTI meetings where several leaders expressed concern that the tone and frequency of Imran Khan’s posts had crossed a line and were generating unnecessary confrontation with state institutions. These leaders admitted that the party founder repeatedly targeted senior military officials with derogatory and inflammatory remarks on his official X account, despite earlier warnings from within the party to adopt restraint.
A senior PTI official, speaking to The News on condition of anonymity, said, “When we keep doing the same thing again and again—mocking, provoking, attacking—what else should we expect from the other side?” The leader added that if one compiled Imran Khan’s posts over the past two years, “there are likely more than a hundred instances in which extremely harsh language was used directly against the top military command.”
This internal criticism highlights a widening gap between PTI’s senior leadership and its incarcerated founder. While most leaders express a desire to lower political temperatures, they say they have little control over either the party’s messaging or its social media machinery. Sources say that although many PTI leaders disagree with Imran Khan’s unrelenting personal attacks on the military establishment, their concerns carry no weight in shaping the party’s official stance. Decisions, public statements, and narrative direction continue to emanate from Adiala Jail, where the former premier is currently detained.
One insider revealed that hardly any top PTI leader now retweets or “likes” Imran Khan’s controversial posts, preferring to quietly distance themselves from the rhetoric without openly challenging it. Many within the party would prefer a strategy focused on reconciliation and political de-escalation, but they acknowledge that Imran Khan consistently rejects such advice.
This widening gap became more evident when the ISPR Director General, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, delivered an unusually blunt press briefing on Friday. While he avoided naming Imran Khan directly, his comments unmistakably targeted the PTI founder and his party. He described the jailed leader as a “mentally disturbed individual” and a “serious threat to national security.” Such stark language is exceedingly rare in military communications and reflects the gravity of the institutional response.
The DG ISPR accused Imran Khan and PTI of promoting a narrative that undermines national unity and strengthens hostile foreign interests. He claimed that certain international media outlets—particularly from countries whose armed forces “have suffered defeat at the hands of the Pakistan military in the past”—were amplifying PTI’s statements because the narrative suits their geopolitical objectives. He asserted that the party’s rhetoric was increasingly aligning with anti-state agendas, further escalating tensions between the military and Pakistan’s largest opposition party.
PTI insiders admit that this episode marks one of the most direct confrontations between the military and the party to date. The clash underscores not only the shrinking space for dialogue but also the internal struggle within PTI over how to engage with the establishment. Some party members believe that Imran Khan’s confrontational posture has cornered PTI politically, leaving little room for negotiation. Others argue that the party must stand firmly behind its founder’s aggressive stance, even if it invites institutional backlash.
The party’s dilemma is further compounded by the absence of any alternate authority within PTI capable of modifying the narrative or restricting the founder’s digital communication. Since Imran Khan’s arrest, the party’s leadership structure has weakened significantly, and no senior figure possesses the influence to challenge his instructions or messaging. Efforts to persuade him to reconsider the tone of his posts have been unsuccessful.
Political analysts say that the latest exchange between the ISPR and PTI could deepen the polarization already gripping the nation. They note that the military’s strongly worded criticism signals frustration with PTI’s campaign to portray the establishment as the primary obstacle to political stability. Meanwhile, PTI’s internal struggles reflect a party caught between loyalty to its founder and the necessity of engaging pragmatically with powerful state institutions.
The confrontation also raises questions about the future of Pakistan’s political landscape. With Imran Khan’s influence over the party still absolute—even from jail—any shift in PTI’s approach toward the establishment appears unlikely in the near term. At the same time, the military’s escalating rhetoric indicates diminishing tolerance for political narratives it deems harmful to national cohesion.
