Expressing apprehension regarding the safety of Imran Khan, the incarcerated founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, Shoaib Shaheen, the party’s spokesperson, conveyed on Thursday that both the current government and the establishment would bear responsibility should any harm befall Khan.
Shaheen, addressing reporters outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) office in Islamabad, raised concerns about targeted threats and potential violence aimed at Khan, querying why Adiala Jail seemed to be the focal point for such nefarious activities by terrorists, as opposed to other prisons nationwide.
These concerns emerged following the Counter Terrorism Department’s (CTD) announcement of the arrest of three purported “Afghan” terrorists in possession of a map detailing Adiala Jail, along with a hand grenade and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
The recovered arsenal, including firearms, grenades, and IEDs, alongside a map of Adiala Jail, underscored the severity of the threat. Rawalpindi’s Capital Police Officer (CPO), Syed Khalid Hamdani, confirmed the terrorists’ Afghan origins and announced ongoing security operations in the vicinity of Adiala Jail to neutralize any further threats.
Imran Khan, the sole Prime Minister to be ousted from office, currently finds himself behind bars in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, serving multiple sentences related to various legal cases including Toshakana, un-Islamic marriage, and the cipher case. Notably, Khan narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in November 2022 during an anti-government rally in Wazirabad, sustaining gunshot wounds to his leg.
Votes were stolen
During his interaction with journalists, Shaheen alleged egregious electoral malpractice, asserting that some polling stations had reported an implausibly high voter turnout of up to 99.99%, indicative of tampering with records pertaining to the 2024 nationwide election results. He further disclosed his party’s intention to publish a comprehensive “white paper” addressing these irregularities and vowed to pursue legal action, particularly against Returning Officers (ROs) implicated in manipulating poll records.
Shaheen contended that several political entities, including PTI, Jamaat-e-Islami, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, and independent candidate Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, possessed identical Form 45s, bolstering accusations of electoral fraud.
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Condemning the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, Shaheen criticized their purported intent to secure another loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), anticipating that such funds would disproportionately benefit the elite while burdening the nation with future financial liabilities.