Issued from behind bars in Adiala Jail, Pakistan's deposed Prime Minister Imran Khan has strongly condemned his detention as the "harshest any political leader has ever had to face" within the country's history. 72-year-old founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has been held in prison since August 2023 amid multiple ongoing cases against him, while he has shared a statement on his verified X account with the terms of his captivity "oppressive and inhumane".
“I am enduring the most brutal incarceration in Pakistan’s history for upholding the Constitution and serving the nation,” Khan said. He accused authorities of denying him basic human rights, alleging that the water provided for ablution is “contaminated and unfit for any human being.”
Khan further claimed that access to books, newspapers, and television has been suspended. “The books my family sent have been withheld for months. I’ve re-read the same old books countless times, and now even those are gone,” he noted.
Comparing his self to that of ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Khan stated that the latter was given "every comfort" while in prison on corruption charges, whereas he himself is being targeted for unprecedented ill-treatment. He also complained about his wife Bushra Bibi, terming her imprisonment as "inhumane" and "politically motivated," even though she is not politically involved.
The former cricket star alleged that his communication rights have been curtailed. “I’ve been denied the right to speak with my children. Political meetings are heavily restricted—I’m only allowed to meet selected individuals,” he added.
Khan appealed to PTI members to set aside internal strife and rally behind the party's impending "Free Imran Khan Movement," which will commence nationwide on August 5. Khan warned that PTI members who take part in party factionalism will be expelled.
Khan's sons, Suleman and Kasim, are also said to be reaching out to U.S. Congressmen and members of the Trump administration to press for the release of their father.
The masses stood with PTI on Feb 8, 2024, even without an election symbol. That is a clear mandate," Khan said, calling on party workers to become "the voice of the people.
Lamenting the Shehbaz Sharif regime, Khan alleged that it was undermining judicial independence. "The judiciary has been emasculated and the prejudiced verdicts being handed down today are an insult. We have to give a strong campaign to restore judicial freedom. No state can prosper without an independent judiciary," he added.
