What is brewing in the dark prison rooms of Rawalpindi for the former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan? In the concentrated and dark jail, with no hygienic food and denial of basic human rights, Imran Khan is leading a completely isolated and tortuous life, asserts his family members. Though, Pakistan authorities have refuted the rumours regarding the death of Imran Khan in the Pakistan jail, these serious allegations on the present physical and mental state of the former Prime Minister of Pakistan exposes the autocratic and dictatorial nature of the authorities in Rawalpindi.
The allegations on the state of Imran Khan uttered by his sisters, son and his party members also raises apprehensions regarding the aspirations of Asim Munir, whether the military dictator of Pakistan is seeking to further consolidate his power by suppressing Imran Khan who is still a popular leader among the masses and enjoys considerable support from the grassroots of Pakistan. Imran Khan has been imprisoned since 2023, with spiking isolation and little information for the outside world, with every passing day.
Deciphering the state of Imran Khan locked in Rawalpindi
Lately, a series of statements emanating from the inner circle of Imran Khan is raising concerns regarding his physical and mental state in the Rawalpindi jail. It is also exposing the dictatorial nature of the Pakistan government and military. Though, the rumours of Imran Khan death have been refuted by the Pakistan government, it is clear that something fishy is brewing in the prison and the health of Imran Khan is not at all in a sound state. Faizal Javed, Senator from the Pakistan Tehreek-Insaf(PTI), political party of Imran Khan asserted that the government of Pakistan has denied the basic “human rights” to Imran Khan in prison.
Noreen Niazi, sister of Imran Khan, alleged that the family members have been denied permission to meet him for more than four weeks. This has stimulated concerns regarding the health and well-being of Imran Khan. The jail authorities have also refused to share any information pertaining to the former Prime Minister of Pakistan. “We don’t know anything. They are not telling us anything, nor are they letting anybody meet him. His party’s people went there because they had a meeting scheduled, but they were not allowed inside. We have not been allowed to meet him for the last four weeks. We got to know that news was circulating in India that he had been killed. As per the jail manual one cannot be kept in isolation for more than four days. But he was kept in isolation for more than three weeks last year as well, during which electricity was cut”, sister of Imran Khan further added regarding the precarious situation of Imran Khan.
Noreen Niazi also blamed the Pakistan government for unleashing a brutal crackdown on the activists and leaders of the PTI party. Police have been given a “free hand” to act mercilessly on the party and its leaders. She further exclaimed that Pakistan is currently in its worst phase socially and politically. Women are extremely disrespected. Children, women and elderly people are beaten up brutally without considering the consequences. “The world is aware of what’s happening in Pakistan”, Noreen Niazi further added.
The sister of Imran Khan later asserted that if this dictatorial act of the Pakistan government continues, they have to face the repercussions from the public. The public anger is spiking in Pakistan with every passing day as an impact of the atrocities of the government. “I believe there will be a spark among people soon and they will see the level to which the people go”, Noreen Niazi said while saying that Pakistan has entered its “darkest period” with “Hitler era like repression”. She said that apart from Imran Khan numerous other innocent civilians in the Pakistan jail were tortured, beaten and killed. Earlier, another sister of Imran Khan Aleema Khan was also denied access to meet her brother in the jail.
Meanwhile, Kasim Khan, the younger son of Imran Khan has taken to his X social media platform and has strongly criticized, exposed the atrocities of the Pakistan government. He said there was no proof for the life of Imran Khan and the jail authorities are completely responsible for the safety and life of the former Prime Minister. His father is being kept in isolation and has been blocked from the family access. “My father has been under arrest for 845 days. For the past six weeks, he has been kept in solitary confinement in a death cell with zero transparency. His sisters have been denied every visit, even with clear court orders allowing access. Me and my brother have had no contact with our father. It is a deliberate attempt to hide his condition and prevent our family from knowing whether he is safe”, wrote Kasim Khan.
“Pakistani government and its handlers will be held fully accountable legally, morally and internationally for my father’s safety. I call on the international community, global human rights organisations and every democratic voice to intervene urgently. End this inhuman isolation and call for the release of Pakistan’s most popular political leader who is being held solely for political reasons”, reiterated Kasim Khan in a sharp social media post, thus exposing the dictatorship of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
The episode encircling Imran Khan also raises apprehension regarding the hegemonic and dictatorial ambitions of Asim Munir. Suppressing Imran Khan is inevitable for the political career of Asim Munir, as the former confronts the military dictatorship, raises strong voices and unites masses against the autocratic regime. Imran Khan enjoys a strong support base among the youth of Pakistan, across social media and the common people even in the hinterlands of the country. This is indeed a threat to the illicit ambitions of Asim Munir who aspires to be the ultimate leader of Pakistan.
Cracking down on Imran Khan can draw public anger, mass mobilization and civil unrest across Pakistan. Thus, Islamabad and Rawalpindi seek to degenerate the physical and mental state of Imran Khan in a slow, gradual, elusive way with darkness, isolation, filthy food and lack of human rights, thereby consolidating the hegemonic ambitions of Asim Munir and his teammates.
