Imran Khan, the imprisoned former Prime Minister and PTI founder, has stated that the country has been transformed into a “police state” under the current government. He believes the present conditions are even more severe than those under past military regimes.
“Today’s situation is akin to martial law, but much harsher than the ones imposed by [former military rulers] Zia-ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf,” Khan remarked during an informal discussion with journalists at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
Last week, Khan, who has been imprisoned for over a year, compared the current democratic system unfavorably to the martial law eras of Musharraf and Zia, describing them as “better” than the current governance.
He further pointed out that the Supreme Court’s ruling on reserved seats had clarified the situation, emphasizing that efforts to sideline his party from the electoral process and erase it from the political scene had become obvious.
Imran Khan has consistently criticized the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, deeming it illegitimate due to alleged interference in the February 8 elections. He also targeted the coalition government, accusing it of exerting total control over the judiciary, claiming that judges not aligned with the ruling powers were swiftly transferred.
He specifically mentioned a judge who, according to him, was replaced while overseeing the May 9 unrest cases. Khan voiced frustration over the judiciary’s inaction, particularly in relation to PTI’s petitions against amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws, which were dismissed.
He also condemned the recently passed Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Amendment Ordinance 2024, authorized by President Asif Ali Zardari, which granted additional powers to the chief justice for judge assignments, alleging that it undermined democratic procedures.
Khan then announced a schedule of his party’s forthcoming protests, which includes a demonstration for judicial independence on Thursday and another protest on Friday. A major rally is planned in Rawalpindi on September 28, with a warning that PTI will respond strongly if the authorities do not permit the gathering.
Legal Challenges and Military Trial Concerns:
Having been imprisoned for over a year, Khan faces numerous legal cases, including the Toshakhana case, cipher case, and an un-Islamic marriage case. His wife, Bushra Bibi, has also been detained for months.
While a court suspended Khan’s sentence in the Toshakhana case and other courts overturned his convictions in the cipher and iddat cases, hopes for his release in July were quashed when the NAB filed fresh charges related to the sale of state gifts, known as the new Toshakhana case.
Khan’s prospects for release became even more uncertain after Lahore Police implicated him in multiple cases linked to the May 9, 2023 riots, which erupted following his arrest from the Islamabad High Court. Additionally, Khan has petitioned the Islamabad High Court against a potential military trial related to these cases, after remarks from Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar fueled speculation.
