Web Desk (MNN); Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry said on Monday that the PTI’s “unjustified” and continuous criticism of the army had ultimately pushed the institution to break its silence.
In remarks aired by the media, Chaudhry accused the opposition party of attacking the army and its leadership for political gains, despite repeatedly claiming that the military should stay away from politics. He said that unlike PTI’s allegations, the army was not interfering in politics, but PTI itself tried to “drag” the army into political matters.
He stated that PTI levelled accusations without evidence and criticised the same institution that had always defended Pakistan. Referring to recent tensions with India, he said the army had even defeated a “major world power”, yet PTI continued to malign the institution.
Chaudhry said the army had patiently tolerated the attacks for a long time, but PTI founder Imran Khan and his party members kept levelling allegations through tweets, messages and press conferences, forcing the army to respond.
He also charged that the PTI neither condemned terrorism nor criticised Indian aggression, instead showing softness toward terrorists while attacking Pakistani institutions.
Chaudhry added that the government had invited PTI for talks multiple times but regretted extending the offer to those he claimed were “not worthy of dialogue”. He alleged that Imran Khan came into power in 2018 with the support of the military establishment, and was now “blackmailing” the army to gain similar support again.
He criticised PTI’s 13-year performance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, questioning how the party expected votes from the public when it could not even secure a by-election win in Haripur.
The minister warned that criticism against Pakistan and its institutions would no longer be tolerated. He said that PTI’s protests outside Adiala Jail were attempts to disturb peace and echoed “enemy narratives”.
Chaudhry further alleged that the KP government was being used to incite “jailbreak attempts and riots” to help Imran Khan escape punishment, but warned that such moves would be strictly dealt with. He noted that the law and Constitution prohibited the use of provincial resources for political purposes.
Concluding his remarks, he warned that the government’s response to PTI would now mirror the party’s actions, stressing that any attempt to create unrest would be handled firmly.
The minister’s statement comes days after the army’s spokesperson, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, strongly criticised Imran Khan for promoting an “anti-army narrative” during a press conference on December 5 — a rebuttal that followed the former premier’s latest criticism conveyed through his sister after a jail visit.
