Incarcerated Imran seeks new UK PM’s help to ‘protect democracy’
PTI founder gives interview to British channel from Adiala jail. Says he been confined in “a seven-by-eight-foot death cell”. Tells UK PM Starmer his party has been “brutally suppressed”.
LONDON: Former prime minister Imran Khan has sought the help of the newly elected UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to raise awareness of threats to democracy in Pakistan.
In an interview to British news channel, ITV News, from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, Khan congratulated the new British premier for his election victory but asked him to imagine senior Labour Party figures being “abducted in the dead of night” during the UK election campaign to understand the erosion of democracy in Pakistan. “For nearly a year now, I have been confined in a seven-by-eight-foot death cell, a space typically reserved for terrorists and those on death row,” he said via lawyers. ITV said his lawyers sent answers of questions sent by ITV News. “Surveillance is constant, stripping away any semblance of privacy.” The 71-year-old former cricket star said he was “resolute and ready” for democratic change, adding that despite his condition, prayers, reading and exercise had given him strength. “I am both mentally and physically prepared for the struggle ahead. True democratic change and freedom in Pakistan are never going to be easy,” he said. Khan told ITV: “I urge PM Starmer and his cabinet, who assumed power through the genuine will of the people without any electoral manipulation, to imagine if their overwhelming victory was stolen. Picture a scenario where a party that barely won 18 seats usurped your mandate, where your party symbols were stripped, and your leaders were imprisoned or tortured until they switched allegiances or left politics altogether. Imagine homes broken into and women and children abducted in the dead of night.” He added that his party has been “brutally suppressed”. “The people of Pakistan yearned for change, for democracy, and for the rule of law to prevail. Their votes were a cry for justice, self-determination, and freedom.” ITV also interviewed Imran Khan’s international adviser Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari who confirmed Khan is now seeking to become the next chancellor of Oxford University, where he studied during the 1970s. An application form was submitted on his behalf for an election later this year, Bukhari said. If successful, he would replace Chris Patten, the former government minister. When asked by ITV News whether a new British government should amplify calls for his release, Khan warned that the administration carried “tremendous responsibility and high expectations” on the world stage. “The world is watching them and looking to them for leadership, especially in light of the horrific situation in Gaza and the erosion of democratic principles globally. “We have a collective duty to uphold the values of peace and strive for freedom and fairness for everyone. Where the UK stands in its commitment to these values will speak volumes.” Khan added that Starmer should do more to tackle anti-Muslim hatred in the UK. “Having spent much time in the UK during my cricketing days, it saddens me to see the rise of Islamophobia over the past decade. I hope the newly appointed government can curb the bigotry that has affected Muslims and people of all faiths.”