Pakistan Army’s denial of Munir’s Brussels interview and future of Imran Khan

Even as senior journalist Sohail Warraich held forth in a three-part article in the Jang on a claimed two-hour interview with Field Marshal Gen Asim Munir in Brussels, after the latter addressed a large gathering of Pakistani diaspora there (August 12), Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Thursday, August 21, refuted reports attributing some remarks to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Field Marshal Asim Munir.

While hundreds of people took pictures with the field marshal, including Warraich, Lt Gen Chaudhry categorically stated no interview was given by the army chief, adding further that `the senior journalist had shown irresponsibility for personal gain’ and indulged in `a publicity stunt’.

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Warraich had claimed, `Regarding a political question, Munir recited on stage the text and translation of the Quranic verses about Adam’s creation and the role of Satan’, inferring that political reconciliation was possible only if ‘angels’ ‘sincerely asked for forgiveness’. Otherwise, ‘the one who did not ask for forgiveness became Satan (Shaitan)’. Warraich and others interpreted this as an oblique reference to former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Some observers based abroad even saw a newfound confidence in the Field Marshal for starting to give interviews to journalists now, after his successful trips to the United States.

Warraich had written that this meeting in Brussels was jointly organised by Syed Qamar Raza Shah, head of the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, and a family friend, Sardar Zahoor. Hundreds of overseas Pakistanis from all over Europe participated. General Asim Munir was welcomed as the victor of war; overseas Pakistanis even bowed down and kissed his hands, and many others praised him for the victory of a Muslim country over an infidel country.

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Among other things, Warraich reported, Asim Munir had denied any ambitions of taking over as president or of his protégé, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, replacing Shahbaz Sharif as prime minister. He saw himself largely as a guardian of the country and a `soldier’ with only `martyrdom’ as his ultimate goal. In his speech, Munir talked of an economic road map, citing Pakistan’s hitherto unexploited mineral wealth at Reko Diq (copper and gold), which, if properly executed, could yield two billion dollars in profit from next year. On international affairs, Munir apparently said that Pakistan had long experience of maintaining balance between China and America, and “We will not sacrifice one friend for another.”

The DG ISPR’s denial comes in the wake of an interesting Supreme Court verdict (August 21) in which a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and two others, Justice Muhammed Shafi Siddique and Justice Hasan Askari Rizvi, allowed Imran Khan bail in eight cases pertaining to the May 9, 2023 violence in Lahore and other places. During the court proceedings, Justice Yahya Afridi had taken the precaution of repeatedly pointing out to Imran’s attorney, Sohail Safdar, that the bench was not going into the merits of the charge, just giving bail!

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, August 21, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI)’s senior leaders Latif Khosa, Aamir Dogar and Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said that the day marked a “moment of relief and joy for the nation”. Describing the Supreme Court’s decision as a “ray of hope”, they claimed that the order not only “exposed the fabricated narrative” but also stood as proof of Imran Khan’s innocence.

It may be recalled, however, that Imran Khan continues to be in Adiala prison serving out a fourteen-year sentence for corruption in the Al Qadir Trust case (verdict given by a lower court on Jan 25, 2025), where he was accused of benefitting estate dealer Malik Riaz (now absconding abroad, in Dubai) in exchange for gifts of land and money for himself, his wife, Bushra Sheikh, and some of her relatives and friends (Farah Gogi, also absconding!). Referring to the case, Salman Akram Raja hoped it too would be decided in PTI’s favour, paving the way for Khan’s release from detention.

Meanwhile, reacting to the Election Commission’s disqualification of Omar Ayub Khan as the National Assembly opposition leader and Shibli Faraz from the Senate following their conviction in the May 9 cases, Imran nominated Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami party leader, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, as opposition leader in the National Assembly and his own party’s Azam Khan Swati as opposition leader in the Senate.

Central and provincial authorities in Pakistan, including some army units, remain tied up in tackling unprecedented floods in all provinces of Pakistan, especially inundating large parts of the greater Karachi urban agglomeration. This has not stopped politicians from rival parties scoring political points against each other.

The army also got involved in heavy clashes with Pashtun militants while trying to wrest back control of a key stronghold near the Karmazi Stop area in the Birmal tehsil of Lower South Waziristan. Separately, several people were killed in an explosion in the remote Charmang region of Bajaur’s Nawagai tehsil. Operation Sarbakaf is currently underway in Bajaur. Residents have been evacuated from parts of the district as security forces work to root out militant presence from the area.

The writer is a former special secretary, Cabinet Secretariat. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.