While giving his first in-depth interview to the foreign media since his release on bail, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said that democracy in Pakistan is at "an all-time low."
The former prime minister reiterated his confidence exclusively in the judiciary, calling it the "only hope" in the country for restoring the rights and freedoms of the people after gaining relief from the courts.
"Democracy has never been lower." "The judiciary is our one remaining chance," the PTI chairman stated in an interview with Sky News on Sunday.
The PTI chief, whose government was overthrown by a vote of no confidence in Parliament in April 2022, also expressed concern over the country's alleged record-high levels of basic rights violations.
He continued by recounting his own traumatic experiences with being detained and how the police had twice searched his home.
He said that during one of these searches, the police physically forced open the doors of his home in front of his wife, describing it as an "unprecedented and unsettling situation" for him.
The former PM stressed the deteriorating state of democracy in the country by mentioning the 150 cases that had been brought against him, a significant number that had not been brought against any other leaders in the country.
Khan further claimed that the government was afraid of the elections because the ruling coalition was worried about suffering a large loss.
The government "fears being wiped out by the PTI in the polls and is petrified of elections," he claimed.
Khan asserted that the ruling alliance was only prepared to hold elections if he was imprisoned or assassinated, revealing the level of antagonism in the political atmosphere.
According to the PTI chief, two attempts on his life have led to fears for his safety and security.
While responding to a question regarding instances of violence during rallies by workers of his party, Khan immediately denounced all types of violence.
He described the situation when he was detained and described a moment of confusion: "Some people who looked like commandos suddenly appeared at the time of his detention." I believed they had come to ensure my safety. But Khan claimed that he immediately recognized that they were after him.
Khan said that a judge had already issued orders for his protection as a result of the threats to his life. He stated that because of the "shocking and abrupt" nature of the occurrence, for a brief period, he thought there could be a terrorist in the room before realizing he was the target.
He further said that extreme force was used to arrest him, adding that it was disturbing and distressing to see how they treated everyone, beat them, and then arrested him.
Khan said that despite his difficulties, he has shown unwavering resolve and preparedness to return to prison. He insisted, "I'm willing to go to jail again.
The former prime minister reiterated his confidence exclusively in the judiciary, calling it the "only hope" in the country for restoring the rights and freedoms of the people after gaining relief from the courts.
"Democracy has never been lower." "The judiciary is our one remaining chance," the PTI chairman stated in an interview with Sky News on Sunday.
The PTI chief, whose government was overthrown by a vote of no confidence in Parliament in April 2022, also expressed concern over the country's alleged record-high levels of basic rights violations.
He continued by recounting his own traumatic experiences with being detained and how the police had twice searched his home.
He said that during one of these searches, the police physically forced open the doors of his home in front of his wife, describing it as an "unprecedented and unsettling situation" for him.
The former PM stressed the deteriorating state of democracy in the country by mentioning the 150 cases that had been brought against him, a significant number that had not been brought against any other leaders in the country.
Khan further claimed that the government was afraid of the elections because the ruling coalition was worried about suffering a large loss.
The government "fears being wiped out by the PTI in the polls and is petrified of elections," he claimed.
Khan asserted that the ruling alliance was only prepared to hold elections if he was imprisoned or assassinated, revealing the level of antagonism in the political atmosphere.
According to the PTI chief, two attempts on his life have led to fears for his safety and security.
While responding to a question regarding instances of violence during rallies by workers of his party, Khan immediately denounced all types of violence.
He described the situation when he was detained and described a moment of confusion: "Some people who looked like commandos suddenly appeared at the time of his detention." I believed they had come to ensure my safety. But Khan claimed that he immediately recognized that they were after him.
Khan said that a judge had already issued orders for his protection as a result of the threats to his life. He stated that because of the "shocking and abrupt" nature of the occurrence, for a brief period, he thought there could be a terrorist in the room before realizing he was the target.
He further said that extreme force was used to arrest him, adding that it was disturbing and distressing to see how they treated everyone, beat them, and then arrested him.
Khan said that despite his difficulties, he has shown unwavering resolve and preparedness to return to prison. He insisted, "I'm willing to go to jail again.