Founder Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Imran Khan has given, currently serving multiple sentences in various cases at Adiala jail, gave an exclusive interview from Adiala jail to former Al Jazeera and MSNBC journalist Mehdi Hasan.
There are strict restrictions on Khan getting comments or messages out from Adiala jail. Previously he has only been able to opinion pieces published in prominent publications, presumably penned by someone from his party who he had briefed.
This is the first time that a feature length interview has been published by a news outlet. It is unclear how and when the interview was arranged by Mehdi and the PTI. The interview appeared in Mehdi’s private venture, Zeteo.
In the interview Khan says that he is being kept in a “death cell, typically reserved for terrorists”.
To a question about who Khan blames for his imprisonment he said, “the ordeal was solely orchestrated by General Bajwa”.
“General Bajwa single-handedly spread stories to countries like the U.S., painting me as anti-American or uninterested in good relations with them”, he added.
Mehdi goes on to ask him if he has any regrets to which Khan answers that his only regret is trusting General Bajwa.
Khan labelled the current government as “illegitimate”.
The interview concludes by calling the recently held elections a sham and an “attack on democracy”.
Read full interview here.
