'The way Mohsin Naqvi destroyed Pakistan cricket...': Imran Khan’s jail missive targets Asim Munir

Aleema Khanum, sister of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, conveyed a series of strong messages from him after meeting him at Adiala Jail, CNN-News18 has learnt.

According to Aleema, Imran Khan drew a direct and stinging parallel between former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi and the country’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir. In his message, Khan claimed, “The way Mohsin Naqvi destroyed Pakistan cricket, Asim Munir is destroying Pakistan."

Despite facing what he described as severe hardships, including solitary confinement, Imran Khan’s message remained defiant. Aleema relayed her brother’s unwavering resolve, quoting him as saying, “No matter what you can do with us (me and Bushra Bibi), put us in solitary confinement; we will not bow down."

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Furthermore, Aleema revealed her brother’s deep concern over the state of the country’s governance. “There is no rule of law in Pakistan," she quoted him as saying, adding that “all institutions are compromised, including the media."

Khan alleges the justice system and press are no longer independent. The former Prime Minister has also accused the current administration of violating basic human rights, claiming that no such rights are protected in Pakistan.

The message concluded with a personal and direct challenge to Field Marshal Asim Munir. Imran Khan’s message conveyed that the “torture on me and my family can’t break us", directly attributing the alleged persecution to the Army Chief.

Last week, after Pakistan’s Supreme Court granted bail to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief in the May 9, 2023 violence conspiracy case, his nephew Shahrez Khan was allegedly abducted and arrested from his Lahore residence.

Shahrez, son of Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, was taken into custody during a late-night raid. Lahore’s Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Manzar Gul has handed over eight-day physical remand of Shahrez to the police. Aleema’s younger son, Shershah, was also arrested outside her house while returning from Shahrez’s court hearing.

Aleema Khan, speaking exclusively to News18, described her son’s arrest as an intimidation tactic.

“My son participates in triathlons and also runs the textile business, for which he travels a lot. He is disengaged from any other activity. He represents Pakistan in triathlons. He was travelling for a triathlon event to Estonia. Even I didn’t know. We were in Islamabad and busy with the SC. We didn’t find out till they abducted him and his wife. They abducted him at the airport for several hours and then let him go. Then they raided and picked him up. They just want to create fear. To raid the house, beat up the staff, they went upstairs, snatched my daughter-in-law’s phones. He was sitting with my granddaughters, who is aged 1.5 years and 5-6 years," she said.