ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan, on Friday, decried the legal proceedings against him as a “mockery of justice,” alleging that trials in ‘fabricated’ cases were being conducted in complete disregard of legal norms and due process.
In a statement posted on X, the PTI founding chairman claimed that since the inception of what he termed the “so-called WhatsApp trial,” he had neither been able to hear the proceedings nor communicate with his legal counsel.
“For the last two hearings, I have not heard any noise from the courtroom, nor have my lawyers been able to convey anything to me. I cannot even see the judge or the lawyers,” he said.
Khan further alleged that witness statements were being recorded in his absence, raising serious concerns about the transparency of the process.
“It is my legal right that the trial be conducted in my presence,” he added.
Referring to the May 9 cases, he accused authorities of relying on “two false government witnesses” who, he said, were being presented repeatedly despite their testimony having been rejected in at least one case.
In a separate criticism, he questioned the legitimacy of proceedings against the 26th Constitutional Amendment, remarking that it was “laughable” for such a petition to be heard by a constitutional bench that itself owed its formation to the very amendment under challenge.
Turning to broader national issues, Khan painted a grim picture of the country’s economic situation, alleging that the government had failed to attract investment or curb rising unemployment. People, disappointed with the economy, are emigrating in large numbers, yet the rulers do not care, he added.
Khan also reiterated his long-standing opposition to military operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying such actions only result in collateral damage and further fuel terrorism.
“During our tenure, relations with Afghanistan were better and there was peace in the tribal areas,” he said. “The solution lies in negotiations and dialogue. Military operations are never in the public interest.”
He also expressed concern over his and his wife Bushra Bibi’s detention conditions, claiming that both were being held in solitary confinement in violation of the jail manual.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025