A senior member of Khan's party said the former prime minister was suffering for the people of Pakistan.
Islamabad:
A fresh political battle has begun in Pakistan after the government released pictures of the cell provided to former Prime Minister Imran Khan in Adiala Prison, refuting his claim that he is being kept in a “death cell” and solitary confinement during his sentence.
The federal government submitted photos of the facilities provided to Imran Khan in Rawalpindi Jail during the hearing of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendment bill. According to the photos, Khan's room has a cooler, an LED TV, a bed and a study desk. Some photos of Khan's private kitchen, a walking corridor and two exercise machines were also submitted.
During an earlier trial, attended by video link, Khan said he had been placed in solitary confinement. In a written interview with journalist Mehdi Hasan, he also said he had been placed on death row.
“A man who has been fighting for the welfare of the entire nation has been put in such a dire situation. Imran Khan has lived his whole life with royal status and had everything. Yet he is being forced to spend his time in such poor conditions in prison. He is suffering for us, the people of Pakistan,” said Chandana Gulzar, a senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader.
“If you look at the photos of Imran Khan's room, the distance from one wall to the other is barely 10 steps. This is a man who has given everything for Pakistan – Shaukat Khan Hospital, universities and working hard to make it a welfare state for the poor. Now he is being kept in a 4×6 cell. It breaks my heart to think that such a great leader is being treated like this,” said Rukhsana, a PTI supporter.
Meanwhile, ruling party leaders slammed Imran Khan for making “false allegations” about his solitary confinement, going so far as to call it a “death cell”.
“Imran Khan is a liar. He is trying to portray himself as the victim and to attract attention from his supporters in Pakistan and abroad. Imran Khan has been given the best facilities in prison. He is enjoying his time and is not even close to being treated like a convicted prisoner,” alleged Talal Chaudhry, a senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader.
Punjab government spokesperson Asma Bokhari claimed that at least seven cells had been emptied to make room for Adiala prison's corridors and Khan's exercise equipment.
“Look at the pictures and tell me if this is what solitary confinement looks like. Imran Khan is enjoying all the facilities of the prison. He has his own kitchen, cleaners, servants and is fed Indian food including chicken and meat every day. He has also been given a corridor to walk in and a separate room for exercise. Though Imran Khan is in prison, the facilities he is receiving are at par with or better than a four-star hotel,” Bokhari alleged.
PTI demanded that the Supreme Court should order a probe into the jail cell to verify the government's claims.
Meanwhile, political analysts and experts have pointed out that the government's decision to submit the prison cell photos to the court and then leak them to the media and the public will only boost Imran Khan's already enormous popularity.
“The release of the prison cell photographs was an attempt to discredit Imran Khan. But it has backfired on the government,” said Kashif Abbasi, a senior political analyst.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
