Imran Khan vs Asim Munir: Why Pak army chief is in the spotlight amid ex-PM’s death rumours

The Imran Khan death rumours in Pakistan refuse to die. Despite the Pakistani government and Adiala Jail authorities stating that the former Pakistani prime minister is fit and healthy as he continues to serve his prison sentence, the speculation over his demise continues.

In fact, Imran Khan’s sisters — Noreen Niazi and Aleema Khanum — have been demanding to meet Khan and have warned of dire consequences if he were to be harmed. Moreover, one of his sons, Kasim Khan, has demanded that authorities produce proof of life on social media. He wrote on X, “This absolute blackout is not a security protocol. It is a deliberate attempt to hide his condition and prevent our family from knowing whether he is safe.”

Amid this situation, a previous article written by Imran Khan has begun doing the rounds. In a 2024 op-ed for The Telegraph, Khan blamed Pakistan’s military establishment under its army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, of trying every tactic to decimate his party’s presence from Pakistan’s political environment. He further wrote that Munir would be responsible if anything happened to him and also said he would “prefer death over slavery”.

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“The military establishment has done all they could against me. All that is left for them is to now murder me. I have stated publicly that if anything happens to me or my wife, General Asim Munir will be responsible. But I am not afraid because my faith is strong. I would prefer death over slavery,” Khan wrote.

As these lines go viral across the internet, we take a closer look at the tussle between these two power players in Pakistan.

Genesis of fight between Imran Khan and Asim Munir

The feud between Imran Khan and Field Marshal Asim Munir dates back to 2019, when the former was the prime minister of Pakistan. At that time, Munir was the head of Pakistan’s super-powerful spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence — a position he was accorded by then Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa in 2018.

It was here that Munir fell foul of the then-prime minister, Imran Khan; he removed Munir from his post as ISI chief in 2019, which marked the beginning of a highly acrimonious battle between Khan and the powerful general.

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According to many, Khan sacked Munir because the then ISI chief had brought forward alleged proof of corruption against Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi. The same was even reported by The Telegraph, a claim that Khan rejects. “The article claims that I had made Gen Asim resign as DG ISI because he had shown me my wife Bushra Begum’s corruption cases. This is completely false. Neither did Gen Asim showed me any proof of my wife’s corruption nor did I make him resign because of that,” Khan had then tweeted.

But in 2022, an alleged audio clip of Aleem Khan, a former leader of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, surfaced in which he accused the former prime minister of sacking Munir for “exposing corruption” of his wife, Bushra Bibi.

A scorned Munir takes on Imran Khan

While Imran Khan enjoyed the support of the Pakistan army earlier in his tenure as prime minister, he soon fell apart with the military over issues such as mismanagement of the Covid-19 pandemic and corruption, among others.

And when Imran was ousted from power in 2022, many observers noted that it was the Pakistani army that orchestrated Khan’s downfall. Incidentally, seven months after Khan’s ouster, General Munir assumed command as army chief.

Many note this is when the tussle between the two intensified. In fact, in May 2023, Imran Khan claimed that top ISI officer Major-General Faisal Naseer was the man responsible for the assassination attempt on his life back in November 2022. Many saw this as Khan’s attack on Munir, as Naseer was believed to be a close aide of none other than the Pakistan army chief.

In the subsequent days, Khan was arrested by Pakistan Rangers on corruption charges, resulting in massive protests across Pakistan with PTI workers and supporters going on a rampage. When asked about the violence his workers had perpetrated, Khan took direct aim at Munir, saying that the Pakistan army chief was petrified of him.

Imran Khan directly taking on Pakistan’s Army powerful Chief Asim Munir:

“I doubt there is any sense in the Army Chief right now because he’s so petrified if I win the elections I’ll denotify him… he’s dismantling the future of this country to protect himself” pic.twitter.com/70o5BEpe2H

— Secunder Kermani (@SecKermani) May 13, 2023

Imran continues to wage ‘war’ against Munir from behind bars

Despite being locked up after being convicted on several charges, Imran Khan has used his clout to continue his feud with General Asim Munir. Last September, his supporters carried out a massive rally in Islamabad, demanded Khan’s release from jail and ‘haqeeqi azadi.’ Visuals even showed PTI leaders making speeches threatening the government and the military.

And that’s not all. Imran has also not minced his words when it comes to his criticism of Munir. Earlier in September, he accused the Pakistan army chief and now field marshal of “inflicting oppression” on the people to prolong his rule.

In November, he upped the ante again, describing Munir as the “most oppressive dictator” in the country’s history and a “mentally unstable” man. “Asim Munir is the most oppressive dictator in Pakistan’s history and a mentally unstable man. The extent of tyranny under his rule is unprecedented…. Munir, in his lust for power, is capable of doing anything,” Khan’s official handle posted on X on Tuesday (November 4, 2025).

He further added, “Asim Munir is inflicting every possible form of injustice upon me and my wife. No political leader’s family has ever faced such cruelty. I want to make it absolutely clear once again — no matter what he (Munir) does, I will neither bow down nor submit to him.”

He even criticised the army chief over his Afghanistan policy, adding that his “short-sightedness is destroying the peace in the region”. In a post on the ousted PM’s social media account, the 72-year-old said that Asim Munir has made things worse in Afghanistan in an attempt to appease the lobby that opposes the Taliban rulers. “In an attempt to appease the lobby that opposes the current government in Afghanistan, Asim Munir, in his short-sightedness, is destroying the peace that was established in the region during our tenure. Where there should have been a strong relationship, things are being made worse,” Khan said.

Imran Khan’s disappearance and the rise and rise of Munir

Notably, in the past 24 days, there have been no posts by Imran Khan, and his family has received no word from him from prison. His last post was written on November 5 in which he claimed there is “no rule of the Constitution or the law” in Pakistan, only the rule of “Asim Law”.

This message came shortly after Munir’s position was elevated in the country following the passage of the 27th constitutional amendment in the parliament. This legislation grants legal immunity to Munir, for the rest of his life, and service chiefs, as well as President Asif Ali Zardari. It also strips the Supreme Court of key constitutional jurisdiction, neutralising what is left of judicial independence in the nation.

Many observers note that Imran Khan’s disappearance may be Asim Munir’s final revenge. Only time will tell what happens next — as of now, the government and the establishment remain tight-lipped, with only the jail authorities confirming that Khan is “in good health”.

With inputs from agencies