Dr Salman Ahmed specifically labelled Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former President Asif Ali Zardari as nothing more than ‘puppets of Asim Munir’
The deepening political crisis in Pakistan was starkly articulated by Dr Salman Ahmed, a close confidante and key associate of incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in an exclusive interview with CNN-News18. Dr Ahmed launched a blistering attack on the country’s military establishment, particularly Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the Army Chief and newly appointed Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), accusing him of orchestrating a total systemic takeover and deliberately subjecting Khan to torture.
Dr Ahmed asserted that Pakistan is currently operating under “Asim Law”, where the Army Chief’s authority overrides constitutional and judicial frameworks. “Parliament, judiciary, police, and government, all are controlled by Asim Munir,” Dr Ahmed claimed, arguing that the country’s core democratic institutions have been thoroughly compromised. He specifically labelled Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former President Asif Ali Zardari as nothing more than “puppets of Asim Munir”, holding nominal power while the military exercises ultimate command.
The focus of Dr Ahmed’s attack was the prolonged detention and treatment of Imran Khan in Adiala Jail. He alleged that “Asim Munir is testing the waters by torturing Imran Khan” and has been doing so “from day one in jail”. He maintained that Khan’s continued incarceration is solely a reflection of the Army Chief’s deep-seated fear of Imran Khan’s “unmatched popularity”, despite the severe state crackdown on his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Highlighting the inhumane conditions of the imprisonment, Dr Ahmed stressed that while Khan is a “political detainee”, he is “not given the rights of a prisoner, forget about a former Prime Minister’s right”. This aligns with repeated allegations from PTI leaders that Khan is being kept in solitary confinement and denied access to family, lawyers, and doctors, in violation of prison manuals and court orders—a persistent issue that fuels nationwide rumours about his health and safety.
