In letter to CJP, Imran Khan alleges ‘political victimisation,’ seeking urgent hearings of pending cases

• In letter handed over by Latif Khosa, PTI founder pleads for justice, decrying ‘772 days in solitary confinement’
• Accuses judiciary of stalling key petitions, alleging ‘calculated psychological torture’ in jail
• Says Bushra Bibi facing ‘inhuman, degrading treatment,’ demanding urgent hearings of Toshakhana, Al-Qadir Trust cases
• Accuses judiciary of enabling ‘tolen mandate’ in 2024 polls, appealing to CJP Afridi to uphold justice and restore judicial independence

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan has written a detailed letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, voicing grievances over his imprisonment, alleged political victimization, and the judiciary’s handling of key petitions.

The letter, dated September 16, was delivered to the Supreme Court on Thursday by PTI leader Latif Khosa. Speaking to the media afterward, Khosa said the CJP had assured that Khan’s complaints regarding prison conditions would be addressed within 24 hours. “We will inform you about whatever happens in [the next] 24 hours,” he told reporters, adding that the top judge had also sought suggestions on jail reforms.

Earlier, Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum attempted to hand over the letter but was reportedly stopped by police from meeting the CJP. However, Khosa was later allowed entry.

Key grievances

In the letter, Khan complained of enduring more than 772 days in solitary confinement, confined to a “9×11 cage” with no access to books, newspapers, or regular meetings with his lawyers and family. He accused authorities of arbitrarily cancelling meetings “at the whims” of one man — a reference to the army chief.

Khan also claimed his sons were barred from phone calls and that his wife, Bushra Bibi, was being subjected to “inhuman and degrading treatment” in jail, including denial of medical care and basic rights. He pointed out that courts have previously held female prisoners are entitled to leniency through bail, but said this principle had been “suspended” in his wife’s case.

The PTI founder further alleged that thousands of his supporters remained in prison, many subjected to “abductions, beatings and military trials” in violation of constitutional safeguards. He described his imprisonment as “calculated psychological torture” aimed at breaking his will and dismantling PTI.

Political and judicial criticism

Khan reiterated his claim that PTI had won a “landslide victory” in the 2024 general elections but that the people’s mandate was “stolen overnight,” citing the yet-to-be-published Commonwealth Observer Group report, which he said found serious irregularities in the polls.

He also criticized the 26th Constitutional Amendment, calling it a “tool to sanctify electoral dacoity,” and accused the Islamabad High Court, under Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar, of deliberately stalling hearings of his Al-Qadir Trust and Toshakhana petitions.

“The IHC has abandoned impartiality and reduced itself to a facilitator of an unjust campaign against me,” Khan wrote. He urged the CJP to direct the high court to fix the pending petitions for hearing, restore judicial independence, and ensure equal treatment before the law.

Appeal to CJP

Concluding his letter, Khan appealed to the chief justice:

“I, as the patron-in-chief of Pakistan’s largest political party, seek only what the Constitution guarantees: justice, dignity and equality before the law.”

He added that the Supreme Court’s decisions would shape Pakistan’s destiny:

“The courage of the verdicts you inscribe in the book of this nation’s history will go down in history … I urge Your Lordship to uphold your oath and show the people that the Supreme Court remains their final refuge of justice.”