10 hours ago
Last Updated:May 09, 2025, 06:32 IST
Imran Khan has been in jail because of what he says are politically motivated cases filed against him for going against the Pakistan Army.
Imran Khan’s supporters have already started demanding that he be freed from Adiala Jail as they fear a threat to his life. (IMAGE: REUTERS)
As tensions between India and Pakistan escalated following India’s precision strikes on terror camps under Operation Sindoor, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) voiced deep concern over the safety of its jailed leader, Imran Khan.
In a statement late last night, PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Junaid Akbar warned that the government might use the cover of war to target Khan inside Adiala Jail, claiming there were fears that missiles or drones could be deployed under this pretext to harm the former Prime Minister.
Imran Khan, 72, has been in custody since August 2023, caught in a storm of nearly 200 legal cases that he says are politically driven. In January, a court sentenced the former prime minister to 14 years in prison while his wife was handed a seven-year term in one of the many cases brought against them.
Despite the crackdown, Khan’s popularity has refused to fade. His continued grip on the public imagination poses a threat to the fragile coalition government that blocked PTI’s return to power in last year’s tightly controlled elections. PTI still managed to emerge as the largest party in terms of seats won but a coalition seen as more agreeable to the military was swiftly ushered into power.
Even from within the walls of Adiala Jail, Khan has remained defiant. Through his lawyers he continues to issue sharp statements against the ruling establishment and vows to challenge each case in court.
Removed from office in 2022 by a no-confidence vote, the former cricket captain has since taken on Pakistan’s most entrenched institution, its military. His rare and unfiltered criticism of the generals has drawn both public support and state retaliation.
Pakistan’s military is the invisible hand that shapes the country’s politics. But February’s election, where Khan was barred from contesting and his party throttled by state machinery, reinforced what many observers already suspected.
Junaid Akbar’s claims come after India on Thursday night neutralised Pakistan military’s attempt to hit military stations in Jammu, Pathankot, Udhampur and some other locations with missiles and drones as tensions soared between the two countries amid fears of a wider military conflict. India also shot down a F-16 Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in Rajasthan.
Sirens and numerous explosions were reported in Akhnoor, Samba, Baramulla and Kupwara and several other places as the Indian military carried out a massive night aerial vigil along the border with Pakistan.
After the Indian military foiled the Pakistani attempts, the defence ministry said India remains “fully prepared to defend its sovereignty and ensure the safety of its people".
Pakistan Army’s aggression comes after Indian armed forces carried out the missile and drone strikes on nine terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on early Wednesday in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack where terrorists backed by and trained in Pakistan gunned down 26 civilians vacationing in Pahalgam.
Location :Islamabad, Pakistan
First Published:News world Imran Khan's Party Fears For His Life In Jail As India Pounds Pakistan With Drones
