Pakistan’s ex-PM Imran Khan criticises opponents, day after his questioning in jail

Islamabad: A day after he was grilled for a provocative social media post, Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan on Sunday launched a scathing attack on his opponents, including the chief justice, the establishment and his rival politicians.

The 71-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder in a message from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail posted on his X account that the government was reportedly going to introduce a constitutional amendment to rewrite the rules about the top judiciary.

The former cricketer-turned-politician lashed out at the government for trying to tweak the laws in order to allegedly control the judiciary.

“The occupying mafia and its handlers are fighting only for their survival, regardless of the national interest. The attack on the independence of the judiciary is also a link in this chain. All institutions in the country have been destroyed. There remains a Supreme Court which is the last hope and support of the nation,” he said.

Khan alleged that an “attempt is being made to destroy this last hope of the nation through constitutional amendment and once again the whole institution and system of the country is being put at stake to grant extension to the person of choice”.

He said “efforts are being made to bring (Chief Justice) Qazi Faiz Isa through the new constitutional amendments to avoid a transparent investigation into human rights violations and electoral fraud”.

Khan alleged that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won less than 20 seats but it was preparing to attack the judiciary in exactly the same way the PML-N government attacked the Supreme Court with batons in 1997.

“The only difference is that this time the attack is being carried out by removing the powers of the judiciary. But I want to make one thing clear today that the entire nation stands behind the judiciary,” he said.

“If they think that we will sit quietly, then it is their mistake, we will not accept it under any circumstances. Let me make it clear that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf will stand with the country’s judiciary in any case. We will call for massive protests across the country,” he said.

Khan also talked about the case registered by the Federal Investigation Agency against him for targeting the judiciary and the army in a tweet on Friday. He said that a case was registered against him for highlighting the Hamud-ur-Rehman Commission report, which probed the debacle of 1971.

“If the Hamud-ur-Rehman Commission report had been implemented, there would have been no martial laws in the country,” he said and then added that even now, undeclared martial law is in force in the country.

Khan alleged that the ruling PML-N and its coalition partner Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are not parliamentary parties, but like puppets, they are dancing on the cues of a few individuals.

“The boot is being respected by saying that the vote should be respected,” he said in a taunt to Nawaz Sharif who had demanded respect for vote after being thrown out of government in 2017.

He said that the government and its backers were going to completely enslave the nation and asked how can people be arrested from Parliament without the will of the speaker.

The PTI leader said, “What is happening to us today can happen to them tomorrow. No one has been forcibly removed from Parliament till date.” Khan also said that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif was going to be punished in the money laundering case during his government and alleged that the then army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa saved him.

He said apart from the money laundering case, all the cases against Shahbaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharif and Ishaq Dar were old.

Khan also talked about the case of possession of drugs registered against PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah during his government by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), which is controlled by the army.

“The head of ANF was a Major General. I called the head of ANF and asked him about the case. He had come and briefed the cabinet and presented the evidence related to the case of Rana Sanaullah. He told us that drugs have been seized from Sanaullah. Before us, no one had the courage to call him and ask the question about his own opponents in front of the cabinet. Why did you make this drug case against them,” he asked.

Khan also said that when journalist Matiullah Jan was picked up, he got him released.

The former premier also spoke about the planned rally by his party at Lahore on September 21.

“Political gathering is our democratic and constitutional right. Whether we get permission or not, we will hold a rally in Lahore on September 21,” he said.

Khan said barricades were erected in Islamabad for the September 8 rally but his supporters came to attend it.

“Has Punjab become a police state that we will not be allowed to hold a rally? We are preparing the party for street movement. I am telling my nation and party to prepare. Whatever happens, the present regime will be responsible,” he said.

He concluded the message by saying: “When there is a war of freedom, sacrifices have to be made. I have been unjustly imprisoned for one and a quarter year. Is this not a sacrifice? I believe in ‘La ilaha illa Allah’. I am ready to sacrifice my life but I will not accept anyone’s slavery. I also tell the nation not to accept their slavery.” The contents of Khan’s statement are not much different from the previous social media posts, as he targeted the head of judiciary, the army and his political opponents, mainly from the PML-N.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) registered a case against Khan on Friday for allegedly inciting rebellion against the government and state institutions through posts made on social media platform X.

The FIA’s Cybercrime Wing launched an inquiry and its probe team led by Deputy Director Ayaz Khan questioned the PTI founder for about 45 minutes at Adiala Jail on Saturday.