BRANDING political leaders traitors and national security threats is nothing new in this country; the practice has long been a part of our political power game. Hardly any top political leader, even one who has held the highest state office, has been spared this abasement. The latest addition to the list is incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan, who has been referred to as a “security threat” and as having a “delusional mindset” by the ISPR chief. This labelling of an individual who not too long ago held the country’s highest political office and still leads its largest opposition party is disconcerting. The comments came in the wake of highly provocative remarks by Imran Khan on social media. Yet it is not deemed appropriate for security circles to engage publicly in polemics regarding the issue.

While classifying certain political leaders as ‘security risks’ or ‘traitors’ cannot be justified under any pretext, many PML-N ministers have joined in the chorus against their political rival, forgetting what happened to their own leader just a few years ago. Nawaz Sharif faced similar accusations in his last term as prime minister during the ‘Dawn Leaks’ saga in 2016. Though there was no public declaration by security circles, a concerted campaign was nonetheless launched against a sitting prime minister, bringing him in direct confrontation with the powers that be. Not only was he forced to sack a minister as well as a........

© Dawn