Imran Khan’s PTI threatens Pakistan shutdown if ex-PM ‘mistreated’ in jail

Islamabad, Pakistan – The main absorption enactment successful Pakistan has threatened a nationwide shutdown to “get escaped of the government” if the authorities proceed what it alleges is the mistreatment of its founder, erstwhile Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been successful jail since August past year.

Ali Amin Gandapur, the main curate of the northwestern state of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a elder person of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, issued the “warning” connected Monday to the national authorities and the authorities successful Punjab province, some led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) party.

“Imran Khan is not fixed food. His cell’s energy is suspended. He is not allowed to conscionable people. I americium giving you a warning: If this continues, we are readying to adjacent down Pakistan and get escaped of this government,” helium said successful a video connection posted connected X.

Gandapur released the connection arsenic Khan’s sisters Aleema and Uzma Khan met the incarcerated person astatine Adiala Jail successful Punjab’s Rawalpindi connected Monday and Tuesday. They aboriginal told reporters they were disquieted their member was being “mistreated” by the authorities.

On Wednesday, a connection attributed to Khan was posted connected his X relationship successful which the 72-year-old person said helium was being subjected to “mental torture” successful custody. “I was not allowed to spell out. My doctors, household and lawyers were banned from visiting maine for respective weeks,” the connection said.

PTI person Sayed Zulfi Bukhari told Al Jazeera connected Wednesday that the enactment is readying to motorboat a large protestation successful Peshawar, the superior of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, successful the coming days. “This volition beryllium the opening of our countrywide mobilisation with the sole nonsubjective to guarantee his [Khan’s] release,” helium said.

Bukhari said Khan is simply a “brave and a courageous leader” who has “never complained astir his health”.

“However, his sisters person confirmed that Khan was not allowed to conscionable with radical for 2 weeks, that determination was nary energy successful his cell, and helium was not allowed to determination retired oregon bash his exercises. The nutrient that was fixed to him was inadequate,” helium added.

After Khan was removed from powerfulness successful 2022 successful a parliamentary ballot of nary confidence, helium was charged and jailed successful dozens of cases, including sedition and “terrorism”, by the authorities led by Sharif, who succeeded the cricketer-turned-politician. While Khan has received bail and been acquitted successful respective cases, helium continues to stay down bars, which the PTI says is simply a ploy to forestall his instrumentality to power.

Khan’s enactment accused the authorities and Pakistan’s almighty subject of a campaign to support him imprisoned. The authorities and the military, which erstwhile backed Khan’s governmental rise, denied the charges.

The PTI has repeatedly expressed concerns implicit Khan’s wellbeing successful prison, adjacent saying his beingness was successful danger.

On October 15, the absorption party’s allegations were echoed by Khan’s London-based erstwhile woman Jemima Goldsmith, who, successful a viral station connected X, flagged immoderate “serious and concerning developments” astir the wellbeing of the begetter of their 2 sons.

“We person received reports that the authorities person present turned disconnected the lights and energy successful his compartment and helium is nary longer allowed to permission his compartment astatine immoderate time. The jailhouse navigator has been sent connected leave. He is present wholly isolated, successful solitary confinement, virtually successful the dark, with nary interaction with the extracurricular world,” she wrote, adding that Khan’s lawyers were acrophobic astir his safety.

In July, a United Nations quality rights moving radical besides issued a statement, saying Khan has been arbitrarily imprisoned successful usurpation of planetary instrumentality and demanding his contiguous release.

The PTI’s concerns followed a authorities bid connected October 4 banning visitors astatine Adiala Jail owed to “security concerns”. The bid was issued days earlier Pakistan hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) acme successful its capital, Islamabad, connected October 15-16, which saw Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang and different leaders from the portion congregate successful the city.

The PTI had earlier fixed a telephone for a protestation adjacent Pakistan’s parliament gathering successful Islamabad connected October 15 to request the merchandise of Khan arsenic good arsenic to reason a constitutional amendment that gives the parliament the powerfulness to name the apical justice of the Supreme Court. The amendment was passed connected October 21.

However, the absorption enactment cancelled its protestation aft the authorities sent a aesculapian squad to cheque connected Khan successful jail. The doctors saw Khan and reported helium was successful “good health”.

Officials astatine Adiala this week said Khan’s meetings with his household members, lawyers and enactment leaders person resumed.

Last week, Khan’s woman Bushra Bibi, who had besides been successful jailhouse since January, was released aft she was granted bail successful a lawsuit related to the amerciable merchantability of gifts received by Khan and his authorities erstwhile helium was successful powerfulness from 2018 to 2022.

Some Pakistani analysts said the PTI’s menace of a nationwide shutdown betrays a “lack of strategy”. Majid Nizami, a governmental expert based successful Lahore, told Al Jazeera PTI leaders deficiency cohesion successful presumption of what their enactment of enactment should be.

“Some leaders suggest agitation, and they are trying to play the unfortunate paper of Khan being successful jailhouse and privation to motorboat a movement. I don’t deliberation determination is immoderate wellness concern, but it is simply being utilized to summation governmental mileage,” helium said.

Talat Hussain, different governmental commentator, expressed scepticism regarding Gandapur’s video statement.

“It sounds familiar, and we person each been there, seen it and heard it all. He is trying to enactment successful the powerfulness conflict wrong the PTI. This is each speech and nary walk,” the expert told Al Jazeera.

Nizami believes Gandapur’s menace was directed much towards PTI workers to support them “motivated”.

“In the past six months, PTI has attempted respective times to motorboat countrywide agitations, but it has not been capable to make an interaction that could enactment the authorities nether pressure. That is possibly starring to vexation wrong the PTI leadership,” helium said.