Jailed former Pakistan prime minister, Imran Khan, has raised the issue of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s bail, which was granted ahead of India’s Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, as he complained before the Supreme Court about the mistreatment he is facing in jail.
Imran Khan appeared before a five-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan, Qazi Faez Isa, on Thursday, in a case related to amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO). The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman described the “victimisation” he has faced since his ouster from power in April 2022.
The bench also included Justices Aminuddin Khan, Jamal Khan Mandokhel, Athar Minallah, and Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi. During the hearing, Justice Minallah said that it was unfortunate that Khan was in jail, given that he is the head of a large party with numerous followers.
Khan compared his situation to that of Arvind Kejriwal, who was released on bail by India’s Supreme Court ahead of the Indian general elections to campaign for his party. Khan argued that he is facing oppression in Pakistan, which he described as being under undeclared “martial law”.
The 71-year-old former prime minister claimed that he was convicted within five days to prevent him from participating in the general elections held on February 8. Additionally, Khan expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court’s decision to reject the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s plea for live streaming of the case proceedings.
(With inputs from PTI)
