PTI core committee condemns Imran’s ‘inhumane’ detention at Attock jail

Committee expresses deep concerns over treatment meted out to PTI chief during his incarceration

LAHORE:

The core committee of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has strongly comdemned the detention of ex-prime minister and party chief Imran Khan at Attock jail, decrying the harsh and inhumane conditions of his confinement.

The former premier was arrested on Saturday and whisked to prison after being found guilty in one of the more than 200 cases he has faced since being booted from office by a vote of no confidence in April 2022.

In a press release issued on Monday, the PTI core committee expressed deep concerns over the treatment meted out to their party leader during his incarceration.

پاکستان تحریک انصاف کور کمیٹی کا اعلامیہ pic.twitter.com/lh0PaS1nQN

— Asad Kharal (@AsadKharal) August 7, 2023

The committee labelled the situation as “shameful” and raised serious questions about the conditions under which the former prime minister is being held.

The committee said that the fascist government has imprisoned the most popular leader and former prime minister in an inhumane and dangerous environment in terms of health and security.

“The fascist government which has shed the blood of law and values in the fire of hatred and revenge will have to answer the nation about their deeds,” it added.

It stated that the PTI's success in the local government elections of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) was a manifestation of the nation's confidence in Imran Khan.

Read more: Jailed PTI chief 'in good spirits' despite tough conditions, says spokesperson

The core committee conveyed their congratulations to PTI K-P President Ali Amin Gandapur, the provincial organisation, party workers, and the people. They underlined that Imran Khan had foreseen the enduring loyalty of the people, irrespective of his imprisonment or release.

The committee expressed vehement condemnation of the government's alleged attempts to manipulate the constitutional and democratic framework of the country through the Council of Common Interests (CCI).

They claimed that the government's actions, cloaked under the pretence of census and constituency changes, amount to a malevolent plot to indefinitely delay elections. The committee accused the ruling party of undermining democracy by obfuscating internal divisions.

Emphasising the significance of transparent elections in line with the spirit of the Constitution, the committee reiterated their commitment to combating any conspiracy against democratic processes and the Constitution.

Also read PTI moves IHC to transfer Imran to Adiala jail

They pledged to utilise all available constitutional, legal, and democratic means to safeguard the integrity of elections and democracy at every level.

The core committee also endorsed a lawyers' convention in Islamabad scheduled to be held on Tuesday.

Parliament is due to be dissolved on Wednesday, days ahead of the end of its natural term, giving the interim government 90 days to hold an election.But there is speculation that the vote could be delayed following the release at the weekend of the country's latest census data.

Law minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told a local TV channel that constituencies would have to be redrawn according to the new census, warning there could be a delay to polls of up to two-and-a-half months.

Imran Khan's arrest and detention for three days in connection with the same case in May sparked deadly violence, with his supporters taking to the streets in the tens of thousands and clashing with police.

It also prompted the crackdown that saw almost all of his top leadership arrested or forced into hiding, leaving the party scrambling to set up a replacement decision-making body.

PTI won a by-election over the weekend, and in a second vote came behind an independent candidate, with both polls held in Imran Khan’s his stronghold of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.