ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister
Imran Khan
has threatened to go on
hunger strike
over his lack of confidence in the
Chief Justice
of Pakistan,
Justice Qazi Faez Isa
, and if the ill-treatment meted out to him in prison continues, said
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf
(PTI) politicians who met him in Rawalpindi’s
Adiala jail
on Friday.
Speaking to media after meeting Khan, the PTI politicians warned that if the injustice continues the party's founder will go on hunger strike.
“If the party’s founder goes on a hunger strike in jail, it will trigger a nationwide hunger strike,” said Shamim Naqvi, a PTI politician from Karachi.
Imran cited ongoing concerns over Justice Isa’s involvement in benches handling PTI cases and his personal cases. He emphasised the concerns expressed by his legal team about the CJ’s infrequent attendance, reflecting a growing sentiment in his camp that justice might not be administered fairly in these circumstances.
Imran also expressed disappointment over a cancelled meeting with his legal and political teams. The superintendent, allegedly at the request of a jailed colonel, denied Khan’s team access, citing operational reasons.
“They (Pakistan’s powerful military authorities) are mistaken; they think my party will weaken. They don't realize that the party with the strongest voter base remains strong,” Imran said while asserting his party’s resilience.
He emphasised that the IMF cannot solve the country’s issues and that the solution lies in fair and transparent elections. “The entire nation states that the biggest fraud (Feb 2024 national and provincial polls) occurred, yet the chief justice is defending the election commission. The electoral watchdog has committed the greatest fraud in the country. We are seeking justice. If investigations proceed, the chief election commissioner will face Article 6 (guilty of high treason).”
“I will never succumb to the tyranny of time; I am prepared to die in jail. As long as I live, I will wage this battle,” Imran remarked.
About national security, he highlighted the necessity of a strong relationship with Afghanistan. “Why did Bilawal Bhutto and our foreign minister not visit Afghanistan? Without support from the Afghan govt, we cannot win this war (against TTP) across a 2,500-km-long border,” he added.
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