• Ahsan Iqbal terms Imran’s rhetoric ‘dangerous trend’
• MQM-P tells party to ‘choose state over leader’
• CM Bugti links Imran’s narrative to ‘hostile agencies’
• PTI rallies in support of its leader, demands ‘apology’ from ISPR chief

KARACHI: Leaders from political spectrum on Sunday rallied behind the country’s armed forces, accusing the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) of driving a coordinated campaign to malign state institutions and sow instability.

However, the party remained defiant, and in a show of strength in Pesha­war, claiming that attempts to discredit them or their leader would only increase their popularity.

A day earlier, the PTI had lashed out at a press briefing by the military’s media wing, calling it “inappropriate and unfortunate” after the spokesperson accused incarcerated Imran Khan of being a “narcissist” and a “mentally ill person” who was edging into “security threat” territory through his persistent anti-army rhetoric.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), PML-N leader and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal called Imran’s political rhetoric “a deeply irresponsible and dangerous trend that seeks to undermine Pakistan’s state institutions, weaken national cohesion, and erode public trust in the armed forces who defend our borders with courage and sacrifice.”

“Political differences are part of any democracy — but when politics crosses the line into anti-state narrative building, deliberate misinformation, and attacks on the integrity of Pakistan’s Armed Forces and its leadership, it threatens the stability, security, and uni­ty of the country,” he wrote. Mr Iqbal added that no leader had the right to wea­ponise divisive rhetoric for personal gain at the cost of Pakistan’s national security.

‘Choose state over leader’

Offering PTI what he described as a lesson from his own party’s history, Mu­t­tahida Qaumi Move­ment-Pakistan (MQM-P) convener Dr Khalid Maq­bool Siddiqui on Sunday said that just as his party had once chosen the state over the narrative of its own founder, PTI now faced the same choice.

Addressing a press conference along with senior leaders Mustafa Kamal, Dr Farooq Sattar, Anis Qaim­khani, Aminul Haque and others, he warned that Pakistan stood at one of the most critical crossroads in its history and could no longer afford prolonged political instability.

The political turbulence, he said, continued to haunt the country, while foreign interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs had become increasingly evident.

Dr Siddiqui declared that Pakistan had already “defeated India decisively this year” and would now defeat “its proxies as well”.

“We never claimed that our leader was bigger than Pakistan. We detached ourselves from him for the sake of the state. If PTI believes its leader is greater than the country, then it must make a choice,” said the MQM-P leader.

Federal health minister and senior deputy convener of the party Mustafa Kamal alleged that PTI and its leadership were actively maligning Paki­tan’s military and its commanders internationally.

“These attitudes are shameful,” he said. “Thank them that the army is only holding press conferences to expose your actions. Karachi’s missing persons’ families knocked on every door in search of justice. You are still fortunate that dialogue is ongoing.”

‘Hostile agencies’ agenda’

Balochistan Chief Minister and PPP leader Sarfraz Bugti also assailed Imran Khan for “spreading propaganda against the army and maligning them in line with the agenda of hostile agencies”.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, he said that today, the nation needed to stand with its security forces more than ever before, as two provinces were facing a serious insurgency.

“In this situation, the nation has to choose, and the nation has chosen to stand with its forces,” he asserted, adding that there was an urgent need to “abandon the narrative which was weakening the state”.

Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi also assailed Imran Khan during a press conference in Rawalpindi, saying that had his claims about the former premier receiving funding from India and Israel been taken seriously, Pakistan would not be in the state it is now.

“I had said that the PTI was receiving Indian and Israeli money. This was proven. I took the foreign funding case to the Supreme Court,” he added. “Had the decision been made then and had he (Imran Khan) been disqualified, then there would not be anarchy or terrorism.”

Reacting to Mr Abbasi’s presser, PTI, in a statement, said that “it would be difficult for individuals like Abbasi to understand that Imran always stood firm for his country, its institutions, and the people of Pakistan at every forum.”

PTI demands apology

Meanwhile, through a resolution adopted at a large protest rally in Peshawar on Sunday, the PTI demanded an apology for what it called derogatory language used against its patron-in-chief Imran Khan and accountability of those responsible to prevent such statements in future.

Leaders of PTI and Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP), addressing the gathering, strongly condemned Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry for his remarks about Mr Khan and Khyber Pakhtu­nkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi in a media briefing, and urged the institution to “remain within its constitutional limits”.

Most speakers at the rally, held at the Sports Complex in Peshawar, argued that attempts to malign Mr Khan in order to weaken his political standing only served to increase his popularity. A large number of PTI workers attended the event as the party continued to contest the ISPR presser on social media as well.

Head of the Pashto­onkhwa Milli Awami Party and TTAP leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai, TTAP’s Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, PTI provincial president and MNA Junaid Akbar, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, provincial ministers, MNAs and MPAs were among those who addressed the rally.

A resolution moved by MNA Sher Ali Arbab said: “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 Feb 8, 2024. We categorically reject that he or his associates are in any way a threat to national security.”

The resolution said an unelected military spokesperson had used “derogatory language” towards elected leadership, and termed this behaviour contrary to the principles of civilian supremacy espo­used by Quaid-i-Azam.

The party also rejected any talk of imposing governor’s rule in KP, saying the people of the province had given a clear mandate to Imran Khan and PTI “despite all obstacles and rigging”.

“Any government formed as a result of the governor’s rule will be illegal and unconstitutional in the eyes of the people,” the resolution stated.

Addressing the rally, Mr Achakzai said “undemocratic elements” had become panicked by the struggle of TTAP and PTI, which was why they had begun using “derogatory and improper language”.

Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said the DG ISPR had alleged that the KP government was not serious about security. “You are not serious, as many military operations have been launched in the previous 21 years,” he retorted.

The young chief minister said PTI could not be held responsible if peace had not returned to the region “because of your security policies”.

PTI leaders also announ­ced another rally in Kohat on Dec 14.

Mohammad Ashfaq in Peshawar, Ikram Junaidi in Islamabad and Imran Ayub in Karachi also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2025