Islamabad: Pakistan’s jailed former premier Imran Khan on Monday expressed concerns that he and his wife, Bushra Bibi, might be sent to a military jail in connection with the May 9 riot cases.
The 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician was speaking to the media during a hearing of the Al-Qadir Trust case in the Adiala Jail Rawalpindi, according to The Express Tribune newspaper.
“They plan to send me to a military jail for the May 9 incidents,” he told reporters.
He lamented the biased treatment meted out to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers detained in military jails, suggesting a plan to also incarcerate him under similar charges.
The PTI founder was booked on the charges of abetment in attacks on Lahore Corps Commander House known as Jinnah House, Askari Tower, and Shadman police station on May 9, 2023.
Supporters of Khan attacked several important government buildings and army installations following his arrest in an alleged corruption case in May last year.
He clarified that he had called for peaceful protests outside the army’s General Headquarters (GHQ) if arrested but never authorised any violent actions. Khan accused Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of stealing CCTV footage related to the May 9 events.
He also condemned the arrest of party spokesperson Raoof Hasan.
Addressing Information Minister Attaullah Tarar’s claims about his VIP jail conditions, Khan invited the media to visit his cell, stating, “If Tarar is telling the truth, he should meet me. Let the media see my cell for two minutes.” He also mentioned that the Toshakhana corruption case had been politicised, with selective action against him while ignoring cases against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari.
He also criticised the treatment of PTI members and the role of certain political figures in manipulating judiciary processes.
Khan attributed the country's economic crisis to mismanagement by previous governments, highlighting the significant current account deficit left by the PML-N government.
The former prime minister asserted that democracy is being undermined and questioned the chief election commissioner’s alignment with the PML-N.
Khan concluded by rejecting the notion of a technocrat setup as a solution to Pakistan’s crisis, advocating for transparent elections as the only remedy for the country's challenges.
He also called for a judicial commission to investigate the attack on the Bannu peace march.
The Pakistan government on Sunday accused Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party of orchestrating violence during a peace march over the weekend in a major town of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in which one person was killed.
Information Minister Atta Tarar addressed a press conference to criticise the eruption of violence during a march in Bannu by the traders and local elders to press for peace after militants attacked an army facility in the city leading to a bloody clash in which eight soldiers died and ten militants were killed.