ISPR Chief Faces Backlash After Controversial Remark and Gesture During Press Briefing

Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), has come under sharp criticism after a video surfaced showing him winking at journalist Absa Komal during a press briefing in which she questioned him about former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently imprisoned.

In the widely circulated footage, the journalist asked Chaudhry about allegations frequently levelled against Khan — including being a “national security threat,” “anti-state,” and allegedly acting “at the hands of Delhi.” She further asked how these accusations differed from past claims and whether any new developments should be expected.

In response, Chaudhry added, “And add a fourth point: he is also a zehni mareez (mental patient),” before smiling and winking at the journalist.

The gesture triggered widespread backlash on social media. One user on X wrote, “This is openly happening in front of cameras. Democracy is over in Pakistan. The PM is a puppet.” Another commented, “A meme of a nation.”

Pakistan's Army's DG ISPR winking at a female journalist after she questioned why they are being labelled as funded by Delhi.

Honestly, I am not even surprised.pic.twitter.com/FzA4SMgSM8

— Elite Predators (@elitepredatorss) December 9, 2025

Escalating War of Words

The controversy follows Chaudhry’s remarks on Friday, when he described Khan as a “narcissist” whose political ambitions had grown so extreme that, according to Chaudhry, Khan believed, “If I am not in power, nothing else should exist.” Although he did not name Khan directly, the reference was clear.

Chaudhry also alleged that individuals visiting Khan in prison were being used “to spread poison against the army,” and accused the former prime minister of attempting to fuel public hostility toward the military. “We will not allow anyone to create rifts between Pakistan’s military and its people,” he said, emphasizing that constitutional freedoms come with boundaries, particularly where national security is concerned.

He reiterated the military’s long-standing charge linking Khan to the violent events of May 9, 2023, when military installations — including the Rawalpindi General Headquarters — were attacked by mobs following Khan’s arrest. “Was it not this same individual who orchestrated those attacks?” Chaudhry asked.

Khan has consistently denied involvement in the unrest.

Khan Hits Back

Chaudhry’s comments came shortly after Imran Khan posted on X, calling Army Chief General Asim Munir a “mentally unstable person” and accusing him of presiding over what he described as the “complete collapse of the Constitution and rule of law” in Pakistan.

The exchange marks yet another escalation in the ongoing confrontation between Pakistan’s military establishment and its most prominent opposition figure, deepening concerns about political polarization and institutional fractures within the country.