Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is reportedly being held in a "small and dirty" prison cell, according to news agency Reuters, which cited one of his lawyers on Monday (August 7). The development comes as Khan, 70, readies himself to appeal against his conviction in the controversial Toshkhana Case. Having been taken from his Lahore residence by police on Saturday, Khan was transferred to a jail in the Attock district, near Islamabad.
He was sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted of corruption linked to the illegal sale of state gifts.
Lawyer Naeem Panjotha, who had the chance to meet Khan in prison for a brief period, expressed the dire conditions Khan is facing. "It is a small room which has got an open washroom where he said there were flies in the daytime and insects in the night," Panjotha was quoted as saying by Reuters.
According to local media reports, he met Khan for one hour and 45 minutes in the presence of a jail official to obtain his signatures on legal paper in preparation for filing appeals against Khan's conviction.
According to the lawyer, Khan informed him that he was being held in a dark room with an open toilet, which was frequented by flies during the day and ants at night, Geo News reported.
"I have been kept in a dark room with no television or newspaper available. Nobody is allowed to meet me as if I am a terrorist,” Panjotha quoted Khan as saying.
According to the report, Khan's legal team is striving to improve his confinement conditions, as political prisoners are entitled to "B-class" facilities, granting access to amenities such as television, newspapers, and books. However, these efforts have not yet yielded a response from authorities, it added.
The conviction, which Khan strongly contests as politically motivated, could potentially lead to his disqualification from participating in the upcoming general election scheduled for November. The current National Assembly is set to expire on August 12.
The politician-turned-cricketer is accused of illegally selling state gifts for a profit of USD 497,500. Khan has denied any wrongdoing, claiming that he purchased the gifts legally from Toshakhana, a government-owned treasure house.
Khan has accused both the military and his political rivals of conspiring against him to prevent his participation in the elections, a claim the military vehemently denies. These tensions, coupled with the economic crisis gripping the nation, have created a complex and turbulent landscape for Pakistani politics.