Fri Nov 21 18:19:35 UTC 2025: Former CIA Officer John Kiriakou Sparks Outrage After PTI Demand Apology for Remarks on India-Pakistan Conflict

[City, Date] – A diplomatic spat has erupted after former CIA officer and whistleblower John Kiriakou revealed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the political party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, attempted to pressure him into apologizing for his comments regarding a potential conflict between India and Pakistan.

Kiriakou, in an interview with ANI in October, stated that Pakistan would lose any conventional war with India due to population disparity. These remarks sparked outrage in Pakistan, leading to online abuse and death threats against him.

In a YouTube podcast with Julian Dorey uploaded on November 18, Kiriakou stated, “I said, in a conventional conflict, India would beat Pakistan because it has five times the people. The death threats… I’ve lost count of how many death threats I received.”

The PTI leadership, currently headed by former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, responded with a formal letter demanding an apology to Imran Khan, the party members, and the people of Pakistan.

Kiriakou responded defiantly, stating he would use the letter as toilet paper and mailed it back to the party.

Kiriakou is a controversial figure himself, spending 15 years with the CIA before becoming a whistleblower and exposing the agency’s torture program. He served 23 months in jail for his actions but maintains he has no regrets.

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