‘Take me out of here; I don’t want to remain in jail’: Imran Khan tells lawyers

ISLAMABAD, Aug 9 (PTI): Pakistan’s jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan has told his lawyers to
take him out from the Attock jail as he does not want to remain in a cell that is infested with flies
during the day and insects at night.
Khan, charged with corruption in the Toshakhana case and sentenced to three years, is unhappy and
worried as he remains holed up in his prison cell.
The 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician was arrested on Saturday shortly after an Islamabad trial
court found him guilty of “corrupt practices” in the case.
Khan has appealed his conviction by filing a plea at the Islamabad High Court.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman has asked his legal team that he does not wish to
remain in prison; Geo News quoted sources in the Attock jail privy to the meeting between Khan and
his lawyer as saying.
“Take me out of here; I don’t want to remain in jail,” the officials quoted Khan, as saying.
Khan’s counsel Naeem Haider Panjotha was granted access by the jail authorities Monday to meet
him, who after seeing the PTI chairman said that the former premier was being kept in “distressing”
conditions provided “C-Class jail facilities”.
Panjotha said that Khan was in high morale despite all such difficulties and vowed to spend his
lifetime in jail but wouldn’t bow to slavery.
However, the sources said that the PTI chairman, during the meeting with his lawyer, conveyed his
concerns regarding the environment at the prison with flies taking over his cell during the day and
insects at night.
The former prime minister was arrested from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore after being
convicted with accusations of misusing his 2018 to 2022 premiership to buy and sell gifts in state
possession that were received during visits abroad and worth more than Rs 140 million (USD
635,000).
Khan denies the allegations against him.
The party of the former prime minister, who was ousted from office after a no-confidence motion
was moved against him in April 2022, has moved the Supreme Court against the trial court’s order,
seeking to declare Judge Dilawar’s verdict “null and void”.
The PTI has also approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Aamer Farooq requesting
Khan’s transfer from Attock jail to Adiala jail.
Khan was earlier arrested on May 9 in Islamabad from the high court’s premises in the Al-Qadir Trust
corruption case, sparking violent protests by his supporters. He was released later.
Khan faces more than 140 cases across the country and charges like terrorism, violence, blasphemy,
corruption and murder.
Meanwhile, the administration of Attock Jail has decided to conduct a security audit of all the
staffers after an alleged “coded conversation” took place between a jail official and Khan, Geo News
reported.
The recording of the jail official’s conversation with Khan has revealed some words the
administration is unable to understand.
The complete biodata of more than 150 prison staff in Attock jail will be sent to the Special Branch
and other institutions for security clearance.
The sources said that the use of WhatsApp by the jail staff has been banned after geofencing.
Built-in 1906, the number of prisoners in the jail is usually more than 1,000. However, there are
currently more than 700 prisoners in the jail and they have only C-class facilities.
The sources said that in view of security concerns, a plan to transfer more than 100 prisoners to
Adiala and other jails is also under consideration.