Whistleblower Bombshell: Gen Asim Munir Plans Power Grab — Presidency for Himself, PM for Brother-in-law?

Ex-Major Adil Raja Accuses Pakistan Army Chief of Plotting Power Grab, Silencing Dissent Through UK Courts

London/Islamabad, July 22 – In a sensational disclosure, Major (Retd) Adil Raja, a former officer in the Pakistan Army turned whistleblower, has accused Army Chief General Asim Munir of attempting to dismantle Pakistan’s democracy through a carefully planned power grab. Speaking from exile in the United Kingdom, Raja alleged that Munir, in a strategy reminiscent of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, aims to install his brother-in-law as Pakistan’s Prime Minister and position himself—or another senior general—as the country’s President.

In an interview with India Today, Raja claimed that this plan is being executed under the guise of a nationwide anti-corruption campaign. “They want to show the world that they are cleaning up Pakistan, but in reality, they are tightening military control,” he said.

Raja also alleged that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s powerful spy agency, has launched a campaign to silence him using legal tools abroad. He is currently facing a defamation case in a UK court filed by Brigadier Rashid Nasir, a former ISI officer. Raja described the case as a “strategic lawsuit against public participation” or SLAPP—a tactic often used to intimidate and silence critics.

He said this legal action follows a failed attempt by UK counterterrorism police to implicate him in a terrorism investigation, which lasted nine months but eventually cleared him of all charges. “When they couldn’t get me through terrorism charges, they resorted to the courts. The UK, being the libel tourism capital of the world, is being misused to suppress free speech,” Raja said, quoting British human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson.

According to Raja, the ISI and the army are exploiting the UK’s defamation laws to hide alleged crimes, including political manipulation, interference in the judiciary, and human rights violations. He claimed that his family in Pakistan has also become a target. His mother’s passport has been cancelled, effectively placing her under house arrest, and other family members have reportedly been stripped of their national identity documents.

“She’s practically under house arrest. My entire family has been blocked from travelling or accessing official services. This is psychological warfare,” he said.

Raja further revealed that Shahzad Akbar, a former top Pakistani accountability official and a key witness in his case, was attacked with acid in the UK—an act Raja attributes to ISI-linked intimidation. “They’re using every means to shut me down. They don’t want these stories out because they reveal the soft underbelly of Pakistan’s military regime,” he stated.

Raja has already been court-martialled in absentia by Pakistan and sentenced to 14 years in prison under the country’s Official Secrets Act. He insists that the only “crime” he committed was exposing the military’s deep-rooted interference in civilian affairs.

“I spoke out about how the army runs regime change operations, controls governments from behind the scenes, manipulates the judiciary, and engages in systemic corruption,” he said, adding that current ISI Director General Lt Gen Asim Malik is also involved in the repression of dissent abroad.

Despite mounting legal pressure, Raja says he will continue to speak out. “This isn’t just about me anymore. It’s about Pakistan’s future, democracy, and the people’s right to know the truth.”