ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has strongly criticised the country’s judicial system, alleging that it has become a tool for political persecution.
Writing in Time Magazine from prison, Khan claimed that he and his party are being targeted through systematic suppression.
He accused authorities of harassing PTI supporters, abducting activists’ families, and using anti-terrorism courts to prosecute party workers on what he termed as “absurd charges.”
“The judiciary, instead of being a bulwark for justice, has been reduced to what I view as a tool of political persecution,” Imran Khan wrote.
Despite his concerns over alleged electoral fraud, Khan said he had authorized PTI leadership to hold talks with the government to prevent further violence and human rights abuses. PTI demanded a judicial commission to probe attacks on party workers and unarmed protesters, along with the release of political prisoners.
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However, Khan claimed that in response, he was offered house arrest in exchange for vague “political space” for PTI, which he outright rejected.
The former prime minister also criticized Parliament, calling it a “rubber stamp for authoritarian policies.” He urged Pakistan’s Army Chief, Gen. Syed Asim Munir, to respect constitutional boundaries, saying the country can only progress under a truly democratic system.
Khan further warned that the crackdown on PTI is not just a national issue but a global concern. “A destabilized Pakistan threatens regional security, disrupts trade, and weakens global democratic values,” he stated, urging the world to recognize the urgency of the crisis.