Incarcerated former premier Imran Khan has claimed he is being “caged like a terrorist”, and is being “denied basic prisoner and human rights”, British publication The Sunday Times reported.
His remarks came during a rare interview from behind bars with the outlet, conducted via his lawyers, as — according to the article — he is not allowed pencil and paper.
Imran, 71, has been imprisoned at the Adiala Jail for almost a year upon his conviction in three cases — the Toshakhana reference, the cipher case, and the Iddat case, in which his wife, Bushra Bibi, is also jailed.
“I am confined in a 7ft by 8ft death cell, typically reserved for terrorists to ensure they have no contact with anyone,” he told The Sunday Times.
“It is solitary confinement with barely any space to move. I am under constant surveillance by the agencies, being recorded 24/7, and I am denied basic prisoner and human rights such as visitation,” he said. Earlier this month, a United Nations working group on human rights said the cases against Imran were “without legal basis” and politically motivated to exclude him from the political arena. The group also demanded the former cricketer be released and compensated.
Imran and his wife sought relief from high courts after their latest round of arrests and remand approvals. He was, however, denied bail by the Lahore High Court for allegedly inciting his supporters in the May 9 riots last year.
