Second Open Letter to the Chief of Army Staff by Former Prime Minister Imran Khan - February 8, 2025 “I wrote an open letter to the Chief of Army Staff (you) with sincerity and in the best interest of the nation, aiming to bridge the widening gulf between the military and the people. However, the response to my letter was highly dismissive and irresponsible. I am the former Prime Minister of Pakistan and the leader of the country’s largest and most popular political party. I have spent my entire life elevating the name of Pakistan on the global stage. 55 years of my public life since 1970 and what I earned in the last 30 years is all transparent for everyone to see. My life and death are inextricably linked to Pakistan. My concern is for the perception of our army and the serious consequences of the growing divide between the people and their armed forces, which is what prompted me to write the letter. I highlighted six key points in my letter, and if public opinion is sought, 90% of the people would agree with them. The manipulation of election results through pre-poll rigging orchestrated by intelligence agencies, the forced passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment in Parliament at gunpoint to take control of the judiciary and appoint handpicked judges, the imposition of draconian legislation like the amendments to PECA laws to silence dissent, the economic devastation caused by political instability and the rule of force, the persistent targeting of the largest political party through state terrorism, and the engagement of state institutions in political engineering and victimization instead of fulfilling their constitutional duties, are all deepening the rift between the people and the military. The army is a vital institution of the country, but a few black sheep within it are causing severe damage to its reputation. One such individual, a colonel stationed at Adiala Jail, is blatantly violating the constitution, the law, and prison regulations while trampling on human rights. He disregards court orders with impunity and behaves like an 'occupying force'. The former, conscientious, Superintendent of Adiala Jail, Akram, was abducted and tortured for upholding the law and ensuring adherence to prison rules. Now, the entire prison staff is being intimidated. Under the orders of this colonel, in blatant violation of fundamental rights, the prison administration has subjected me to relentless persecution to exert pressure on me. I was placed in solitary confinement in a death-row cell for 20 days, where even the light of the sun could not reach. Electricity to my cell was cut off for five consecutive days, leaving me in total darkness. My exercise equipment, television, and even access to newspapers was taken away. Even outside those 20 days, books are arbitrarily withheld, or I am placed in lockdown again for 40 hours at a time. In defiance of court orders, I have only been allowed to speak to my sons three times in the last six months, depriving me of my fundamental and legal rights. My party members travel long distances to visit me, yet they are denied access despite court directives. In the past six months, only a handful of individuals have been allowed to meet me. Despite clear orders from the Islamabad High Court, I am not permitted to meet my wife, who is also in solitary confinement. The forced passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment was aimed at controlling the judiciary, recruiting handpicked judges, and suppressing election fraud and human rights violations. My legal cases are being decided under extreme pressure. I have been sentenced in four cases through unlawful convictions. The pressure on judges is so intense that one judge’s blood pressure spiked five times, requiring hospitalization in the prison hospital. That judge confided in my lawyer that immense pressure was exerted from the "top" to convict me and my wife. 1/2