Imran Khan threatens to go on hunger strike

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan, founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, has threatened to go on a hunger strike in response to alleged mistreatment in Adiala jail and failure to provide justice.

Speaking to the media outside the Islamabad High Court, Khan stated, “I have lost confidence in Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa.” He added that he would announce the final date for his hunger strike after consulting with his lawyers.

Khan expressed frustration over his inability to meet with party leaders who had come to visit him. “Party leaders came to me yesterday for a meeting but they were not allowed to meet. I waited for three hours and my party leaders stood outside. I had called both groups to jail to end the differences,” he stated.

The former premier urged PTI leaders to keep internal disagreements private, warning that public disputes could derail the party’s objectives. “I am sending a message to the party leaders to keep their differences private. Don’t go public with your differences; otherwise, you will deviate from your original purpose,” Khan advised.

Regarding his planned hunger strike, Khan said, “I am going on a hunger strike because of my ill-treatment of me in jail. I will announce the date of the hunger strike after consulting the party leaders and lawyers.”

Khan accused authorities of attempting to weaken the PTI by fostering internal conflicts. He criticized the recent election, alleging widespread rigging and suggesting that Article 6, which deals with high treason, could be invoked against the Chief Election Commissioner.

The PTI founder also mentioned jail authorities’ concerns about his possession of the Hamudur Rehman Commission report. He noted the challenging conditions in the jail, stating, “It is going to be one year that I have been kept in the jail mill. Despite the intense heat, I will not complain about it.”

He also commented on the current government’s performance, saying, “After the budget, the politics of PML-N and PPP has ended. What should not happen to the enemy has happened to them.”