PTI Leader Admits Imran Khan’s Posts Fueled Military Anger

News Desk 

Islamabad: Senior leaders within Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have admitted that former party chairman Imran Khan’s repeated derogatory posts on X targeting the military leadership were a key factor behind Friday’s sharp response from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

According to party sources, discussions within PTI leadership revealed that Khan had, over the past two years, consistently used extremely harsh and demeaning language against top military officials.

“When we will do it so consistently and again and again, what would we expect from the other side,” a senior PTI leader told The News on condition of anonymity.

The insider added that counting the posts would reveal “maybe a hundred times harsh language was used against the military command from Khan’s X account during the last two years.”

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/ptis-narrative-serving-hostile-forces-warns-dg-ispr/

Sources said the internal dilemma for PTI leaders lies in their limited influence over party decisions and messaging. 

Despite personal disagreements with Khan on various issues, including his attacks on the military, most leaders have little control over social media content or the party narrative, which continues to be directed from Adiala Jail.

Most top PTI figures reportedly prefer a more conciliatory approach to ease tensions, but they are rarely heard, and few have engaged with Khan’s social media activity by reposting or liking his posts.

The situation escalated on Friday when ISPR Director General Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry issued a pointed criticism at a press briefing, calling the PTI founder a “mentally ill person” and a “serious national security threat.”

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/key-takeaways-from-dg-isprs-press-conference/

While he did not explicitly name Khan, the statements targeted both the jailed leader and the party.

The military spokesman warned that the rhetoric from Khan and PTI had become anti-state and detrimental to national cohesion, adding that their narrative was gaining attention among media outlets in countries whose forces had historically faced defeat at the hands of the Pakistan Army.

The exchange underscores the growing rift between the military and PTI leadership and highlights the ongoing internal struggle within the party over how to manage its approach toward the establishment.