Incarcerated former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in a message from jail, has alleged that "another attempt" could be made on his life through "slow poisoning" and urged the people to fight for "their rights and country's freedom".
The message of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman was posted on his X handle through his family.
Imran Khan also slammed the caretaker government over the return of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and the series of reliefs granted to him by the courts in different graft cases.
"In the last few days, we have witnessed a total mockery of the law. All that is happening today is not just an execution of a London "plan" but London "agreement" that was signed between a cowardly fugitive and corrupt criminal and his facilitators. The only way a convicted criminal could be allowed to return to politics with a clean chit is by destroying State institutions. And hence, what we are witnessing is a complete collapse of our justice system," Khan stated.
He further said that all the cases against him are "completely bogus and politically motivated" and concocted only to keep him in jail till after the elections or much longer.
The former PM said the "growing political awareness" and "increasing resistance against closed-room conspiracies" in Pakistan scare the establishment.
Stating that two attempts have already been made against his life, Khan alleged that another attempt could be made through "slow poisoning" as he has refused to leave the country.
"At the moment I am physically fit. I would know if my body was experiencing change from weakness. But they have already made two public attempts to take my life. Since I won't agree to leave my country there is of course a danger they will try to make another attempt on my life while I am in jail. Such an attempt could also be through slow poisoning," Khan said.
He added, "Our struggle is entering its decisive phase. You will have to fight for your own rights and your country's freedom".
Khan added that he has directed his lawyers and party office bearers to hold conventions all across the country and commence the campaign whenever elections are held.
Pakistan district and sessions court on August 5, sentenced Imran Khan to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case i.e. for illegally selling state gifts and disqualified him from politics for a period of five years, local media reported.
The court also imposed a fine of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 100,000 on Imran Khan, Geo News reported. However, the Islamabad HC later suspended Imran Khan's three-year sentence in the Toshakhana case.
But, a special court in Islamabad ordered Attock Jail authorities -- where the former premier was incarcerated -- to keep the PTI chairman in judicial lockup in the cypher case. Imran Khan is presently imprisoned at Adiala Jail.
The cypher controversy first emerged on March 27, 2022, when Imran Khan just days before his ouster brandished a letter, claiming that it was a cypher from a foreign nation, which mentioned that his government should be ousted from power, according to The News International report.
However, a few days later Imran Khan named the United States and said that US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Affairs Donald Lu had sought his removal. The PTI chairman had claimed that he was reading contents from the cypher and said that "all will be forgiven for Pakistan if Imran Khan is removed from power".
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
