pti-chief-imran-invokes-kejriwal-on-being-targeted

Jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has invoked the case of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal getting bail to campaign ahead of India’s general elections, as he complained before the Supreme Court about the mistreatment meted to him in jail.

 

During his appearance on Thursday before a five-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa in a case related to amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman complained of the “victimisation” that he faced since his ouster from power in April 2022.

 

Justices Aminuddin Khan, Jamal Khan Mandokhel, Athar Minallah, and Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi also sat on the bench.

 

Justice Minallah remarked that it was unfortunate that Khan was in jail as he was the head of a large party with millions of followers.

 

Khan, complaining of oppression against him, pointed out that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was released on bail by the apex court ahead of the Indian general elections for campaigning for his party but he was facing oppression in Pakistan which was under undeclared “martial law”.

 

Khan, 71, complained that he was convicted within five days to keep him away from the general elections which were held on February 8.

 

Khan also expressed dismay over the Supreme Court’s judgment rejecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s government plea requesting the live streaming of the case.

 

Khan cited the circumstances and said his government was toppled via conspiracy and that he did not want to respond to the “conspiratorial government” in Parliament.

 

Khan also asked the court to compare the facilities given to him in jail with the facilities given to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

 

However, in a lighter vein, Justice Mandokhel said the elder Sharif was not in jail at the moment, “Do you want us to send him to jail?” The chief justice remarked the court would arrange a surprise visit by the judicial officer.