A week after a dramatic showdown between Pakistan’s power centres and supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan over alleged threats to his life, the civilian government has now sharpened its stance. Senator Rana Sanaullah-a close adviser to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif -signalled that treason charges against the jailed PTI founder could not be ruled out. His remarks mark a significant escalation in the political frictions gripping Pakistan, as tensions between the Sharif administration, the military establishment and Khan’s party intensify both inside and outside Adiala Jail.
Pak Govt Issues Warning To Imran Khan
Sanaullah cautioned that neither Imran Khan nor senior PTI leaders should dismiss the latest warning as political rhetoric, insisting that any further confrontational behaviour would invite “serious consequences”. According to him, a recent social media post by Khan, shared after meeting his sister inside prison, had made his “intentions clear”, with the government interpreting its language as inflammatory.
He added that speeches delivered at PTI rallies would soon reach “the relevant quarters”, who would respond “with full force”. Sanaullah went on to mock the party, suggesting that PTI was increasingly turning into “Adiala Tehreek-e-Insaf”, a reference to Khan’s incarceration at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. He predicted that most PTI leaders would eventually refuse to follow what he described as the party leadership’s self-destructive path.
Imran Khan Vs Asim Munir
The government’s latest salvo comes days after the military’s media wing, ISPR, publicly criticised Imran Khan for allegedly propagating an “anti-army narrative”, which it claimed had become a national security concern. ISPR chief Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry himself faced backlash after a video showing him winking at a woman journalist during a press conference went viral, prompting a fresh wave of political commentary.
Meanwhile, tensions surged again on Tuesday when Khan’s sisters were prevented from meeting him in Adiala Jail despite a court order allowing visits that day. Local police sealed all access roads to the prison, triggering further anger among PTI supporters and fuelling claims of increasing pressure on the opposition ahead of critical political moments for Pakistan.
