Imran Khan, Pakistan's imprisoned former prime minister, is reportedly enduring "extremely harsh conditions" in solitary confinement at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) claimed on Thursday.
Fears for his safety have been mounting, with party leaders alleging that he is being deprived of basic amenities and subjected to deliberate mistreatment.
Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari, a senior PTI leader and a close aide to the 71-year-old Khan, described the grim conditions of his confinement, stating, “The sewer lid in his cell is deliberately left open to keep the cell filled with a foul odour. Water supply to his cell has been cut off, and now he is given only one bucket of water per day.”
Popularly known as Zulfi Bokhari, the British-born politician claimed that the prison staff have ignored all his attempts to communicate about Khan’s treatment.
Bokhari added that the conditions faced by the former cricket star were far worse than those encountered by ordinary prisoners.
“Even a common prisoner is not exposed to such behaviour, let alone a former prime minister who is unlawfully incarcerated,” he remarked. Despite these conditions, he quoted Khan as saying, "They can do whatever they want, but they can't break me."
The PTI has raised alarms that Khan's life is in jeopardy as he faces inhumane conditions, including being denied access to books and newspapers.
"This deliberate mistreatment and isolation are not only unjust but a serious threat to his health and safety," Bokhari stated. “They are trying to make it worse for him.”
Khan, who has been in prison since August last year following his conviction in the Toshakhana corruption case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan, continues to accuse Pakistan’s powerful military and its intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), of orchestrating his plight.
In a statement from Adiala Jail on Tuesday, he reiterated his allegations, claiming, "The ISI controls all administrative matters related to my imprisonment. If anything happens to me, the Army chief and DG ISI will be responsible."
Although the former prime minister has secured bail or had his conviction set aside in various cases, he has not been released and remains incarcerated under what his party deems "oppressive" conditions.
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