Imran Khan claims he is “ready to go to jail again”

LAHORE (NNI): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf chairman Imran Khan has said democracy in Pakistan is “at an all-time low”, terming the judiciary as the “only hope” the country has in this situation.

“Some individuals resembling commandos suddenly appeared at the time of his arrest. I thought they came for my security.” However, I soon realized that they were after him.”

These words were uttered by PTI chief Imran Khan while speaking with Sky News on Sunday.

The PTI leader went on to share his own distressing experiences of being taken into custody, the way they manhandled and beat everyone and arrested me was unsettling and shocking.

“The first time they showed me an arrest warrant was inside the jail. It happens in the law of the jungle,” the PTI chairman said.

He recalled a moment of confusion and said he has displayed unwavering determination and readiness to face imprisonment once again. “I am ready to go to jail again,” he maintained.

He said that the coalition government, led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was “petrified of elections”, adding that they feared being “wiped out” by his party at the polls.

He went on to say that the government had decided that the only way they would allow elections was if “I am inside the jail or killed”.

He expressed concern over rights violations in Pakistan following his arrest earlier this week lamenting that democracy in the country is at “an all-time low”.

He also narrated how his residence had been raided by the police on two occasions. During one of these raids, he said, the authorities forcefully broke down the doors of his house in his wife’s presence terming it an “unprecedented and unsettling situation” for himself.

Stressing the deteriorating condition of democracy in Pakistan, the former premier said that approximately 150 cases had been lodged against him — a huge number of cases that had not been filed against any other politicians in the country.

Imran Khan also accused the government of fearing elections, as, according to him, they believed in facing a significant defeat in the elections.

He reprised his faith in the judiciary and deemed it the “only hope” in restoring the rights and freedoms of the people.

Khan said that it was due to the threats to his life that a judge previously issued orders for his protection. The PTI chairman also spoke about the violation of fundamental rights in the country, which he claimed had reached unprecedented levels.