Islamabad, Apr 22 (PTI) Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has said that the country and its people need both the establishment and his party to secure national unity and stability, it emerged on Tuesday.

The 72-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder has been incarcerated since 2023 and his statements are shared by the visitors who meet him in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.

Advocate Faisal Chaudhry, after meeting him, spoke to the media outside the jail, saying that Khan expressed concerns over what he described as systematic attempts to sideline the PTI, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

The jailed PTI leader claimed that the country had been turned into a “banana republic” to crush the party, and that institutions including the judiciary, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and police had been damaged in the process.

Chaudhry also noted that Khan’s health was good, but he had been informed that his sisters and several party leaders were denied visitation rights. Khan also raised objections about his wife, Bushra Bibi, facing mistreatment in custody.

The former prime minister also reiterated PTI’s position as a “national, federating political force capable of uniting the country”.

His lawyer further said that Khan had directed his party’s legal and political leadership to address legal matters related to constitutional amendments and pending court cases, some of which he claimed were being deliberately delayed.

Chaudhry also criticised restrictions on meetings with family and legal counsel, stating it was his constitutional right. He said only two lawyers were allowed to meet Khan.

“At one time, even nine lawyers could meet him. Now, only two were allowed,” Chaudhry said.

He said the PTI founder also voiced concerns about Pakistan’s struggling economy and a lack of foreign investment, which he blamed on poor governance and the absence of rule of law.

Speaking on Afghanistan, Khan stated that he spent three years on the issue and had previously advised that terrorism could only be tackled through dialogue with Afghanistan and involving them in the process.

He criticised the current government for wasting time, resulting in the loss of precious lives, including soldiers, and said that such critical factors were ignored. PTI SH GSP GSP