• Aleema, Uzma hold second meeting with brother in jail, complain about lack of power supply, bad food
• Gandapur threatens to shut down entire country
• Statement on Imran’s X account deplores courts’ silence on Panjhuta’s ‘disappearance’

PESHAWAR / ISLAM­ABAD: Imran Khan’s sisters complained about the treatment being meted out to him after meeting him in prison for a second stra­ight day, prompting Khyber Pakhtun­khwa Chief Minis­ter Ali Amin Gand­apur to threaten to bring the entire country to a standstill if Imran Khan is subjected to any mistreatment.

For weeks, the PTI had been claiming that Imran Khan was being mistreated in jail amid a ban on visitors to Adiala jail (which was recently lifted), which also compelled Jemima Gold­smith — ex-wife of the PTI chief — to express concerns about his condition.

Subsequently, a team of doctors visited the former premier in jail and found him in “good health”. However, concerns about the health of the founder persisted within the party and the government subsequently allowed Mr Khan to meet his sisters Aleema and Uzma Khan on Monday.

In a media talk after that meeting, Aleema alleged that the power supply to Imran Khan’s cell had been disconnected since Oct 3 and the food given to him induced nausea.

She had claimed that newspaper and television facilities for Mr Khan had been suspended as well. On Tuesday, however, both sisters skipped the media talk after their meeting with Mr Khan in Rawal­pindi’s central prison.

‘Mental torture’

Meanwhile, a statement shared on Imran Khan’s official X account, claimed that he had been subjected to mental torture by being confined to his cell.

As per the statement, the PTI chief alleged that the electricity to his cell had remained disconnected for five days and he was not allowed to leave the cell for 10 days.

He was quoted as saying that the government wanted to break him through such “hardships and torture” but he would remain steadfast.

The PTI chief also questioned the silence of courts on the abduction of his focal person Intezar Panjutha. It may be noted that Imran Khan does not have access to the internet in jail and his X (formerly Twitter) account is operated by someone else.

‘Pushing towards violence’

As reports of his alleged mistreatment come to light, the KP chief minister warned that the federal government was pushing the PTI towards violence by mistreating Imran Khan.

In a video message on Tuesday, CM Ali Amin Gandapur said that the reports of mistreatment of Imran Khan emerged after his meeting with his sister Aleema Khan on Monday.

He said that federal and Punjab governments were mistreating the PTI founder by shutting down electricity to his jail cell, giving him substandard food, and not allowing him to exercise.

He said if they received any more reports about the mistreatment, the PTI would shut down the entire country. He said they had already decided to shut down the country and the nation should be ready for it. The CM said the next phase of the anti-government agitation planned after its D-Chowk protest earlier this month would not let the rulers get away in their helicopters.

He claimed that the PTI and its founder Imran Khan had always remained peaceful. “But you are forcing us to not remain peaceful and do to you what you truly deserve,” he said.

He also said that those who betrayed the party and Imran Khan were traitors and there was no space for them in the party. Mr Gandapur said the party belonged to the new people who were rising through the ranks. “There is no space for cowards and traitors in the party ranks,” he said.

Biden receives letter from lawmakers

On the other hand, the US State Department confirmed receiving a letter from 62 US lawmakers urging President Joe Biden to play a role in securing the release of Imran Khan and other political prisoners in Pakistan. “We have received and we will respond in due course to the members,” said State Department Spokes­person Matthew Miller on Monday.

Mr Miller was responding to a journalist’s question regarding a recent meeting between a senior American human rights official and Pakistani officials to discuss Pakistan’s human rights situation.

“All I would say about that is that the deputy assistant secretary in that meeting emphasized the important role human rights, support for vibrant society, and strong democratic institutions play in our comprehensive US-Pakistan relationship,” he added.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2024