In his first extensive interview since his release on bail, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan expressed significant concerns about Pakistan’s present state of democracy, noting that it had reached an “all-time low.” Imran Khan further said Judiciary is our last hope.
After being granted relief by the courts, the former prime minister reaffirmed his faith in the system, calling it the country’s “only hope” for restoring people’s rights and liberties.
“Democracy has reached an all-time low. The judiciary is our only hope,” the PTI chairman remarked in an interview with Sky News on Sunday.
The cricketer-turned-politician, whose government was deposed by a vote of no-confidence in Parliament in April last year, also expressed concern about the country’s violation of fundamental rights, which he claimed had reached historic proportions.
The PTI leader then shared his own terrible experiences of being detained, describing how his home had been invaded by police on two occasions.
During one of these searches, he claimed, the officials forcibly knocked down his house’s doors in the presence of his wife, describing it as an “unprecedented and unsettling situation” for himself.
In highlighting the deterioration of democracy in Pakistan, the former prime minister stated that around 150 cases had been brought against him – a large number of crimes not made against any other politician in the country.
Khan also accused the government of being afraid of elections, claiming that the ruling coalition anticipated a severe defeat.
“The government is terrified of elections, and they are afraid of being wiped out by the PTI,” he stated.
Khan asserted that the ruling coalition was only willing to hold elections if he was imprisoned or killed, revealing the intensity of the political climate’s enmity.
The PTI head stated that he had been the target of two assassination attempts, raising fears about his safety and security.
When his party workers questioned him about episodes of violence during rallies after he was arrested on May 9, the cricketer-turned-politician immediately condemned all types of violence.
Recounting the incident when he was arrested, he recalled a moment of confusion and said: “Some individuals resembling commandos suddenly appeared at the time of his arrest. I thought they came for my security.” However, Khan said, he soon realized that they were after him.
Khan said that it was due to the threats to his life that a judge previously issued orders for his protection. The “shocking and abrupt” nature of the incident, he recalled, left him momentarily believing that there was some terrorist in the room only to realize that he himself was the target.
Expressing dismay at the brutal treatment by everyone involved, he said that the excessive force used during the arrest left a lasting impression on him. “The way they manhandled and beat everyone and arrested me was unsettling and shocking.”
Despite the challenges he has faced, Khan said he has displayed unwavering determination and readiness to face imprisonment once again. “I am ready to go to jail again,” he maintained.
Also read: Al-Qadir Trust case hearing: IHC grants 2-week bail to Imran Khan
