 "A supporter of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party kisses a photo frame of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The Adiala Jail authorities issued a statement amid rumours of the former PM's death, calling them baseless. File image/AFP")
Amid the deepening mystery surrounding the whereabouts of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan, Pakistan’s junior law and justice minister, Barrister Aqeel Malik, has suggested that the federal government may move to impose Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
His comments followed KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s overnight sit-in outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. Malik cited “security and governance issues” in the province, arguing that the situation warranted federal intervention. Afridi, a senior PTI figure, has been demanding access to Imran Khan and has repeatedly appeared alongside the former PM’s sisters. Malik described the imposition of Governor’s Rule as an “absolute necessity”.
Malik accuses KP government of failure
Speaking on Geo News, Malik accused Afridi’s administration of having “badly failed in having any sort of a workable situation”. He said, “Neither do they want to have any kind of coordination or cohesion with the Centre, nor do they take any action in areas where it was needed. The situation in KP itself calls for a step to be taken in this regard so that the presence of an administrative structure is ensured there,” Dawn reported.
He added that “the president can take this step on his own as well, the approval for which will later have to be taken by a joint sitting of [Parliament]”. Malik further alleged that the KP government was “planning to block routes and cut off the province”.
Imran Khan’s whereabouts remain unknown
Imran Khan’s whereabouts remain unclear. His sisters have filed a contempt petition against the Adiala jail superintendent and other officials, while his sons have publicly demanded proof that he is alive. Khan’s last social-media post, dated 5 November and reportedly written after meeting a sister, issued a stark warning about threats to his life.
In that post, he wrote on X: “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’s escalating criticism of Asim Munir
Khan also denounced Munir as the “most oppressive dictator” in Pakistan’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."
He further claimed that Pakistan is being run under “Asim Law” rather than constitutional rule, accusing the army chief of using legal processes to settle scores. He said he and his wife Bushra Bibi were facing “extreme cruelty”, and accused Munir and the government of targeting PTI members without regard for women, children or the elderly. Branding Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s administration a “puppet government”, he ruled out any negotiations and alleged that court hearings were being obstructed to keep him imprisoned.