Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, is reportedly staying strong despite being in near-solitary confinement and deprived of his rights as a prisoner, his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf said on Tuesday.
Khan has been sentenced to 34 years in jail after being convicted in four cases and has been disqualified from running in the national elections that begin on Thursday.
He has received several sentences, the latest of which was handed down last week after a district court ruled his 2018 marriage to Bushra Bibi broke the law.
“He's practically in solitary confinement,” PTI spokesman Syed Zulfiqar Bukhari told The National. "He's not been given ‘Class A’, which a parliamentarian and a former prime minister should be getting."
On Tuesday, the UN's top human rights body expressed concern over the “pattern of harassment” against members of Khan’s party ahead of this week's parliamentary election, AP reported.
His party and supporters claimed the sentencing was a punishment for his rhetoric against Pakistan’s powerful military.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urged Pakistani authorities to ensure a fully free and fair voting process, following complaints by the PTI of harassment and the inability to hold rallies similar to the former ruling party and its candidate Nawaz Sharif.
Authorities have denied such claims.
Mr Bukhari said Khan is not allowed to leave his two-and-a-half by three metre prison cell at all, other than for lawyer’s visits.
Despite this, he says Khan is physically and mentally "strengthening himself up".
“He’s always been a person that flourishes in these adverse situations,” Mr Bukhari said. "In that sense, he is pretty good."
Still, there is concern that Mr Khan could be vulnerable in prison, particularly from the threat of poisoning.
“We've put all the responsibility on the prison itself to prepare the food for him and give it because if anything comes from outside that it could be dangerous.”
Why are Imran Khan and his wife sentenced to 14 years in prison? - video
In November 2022, the former cricket star was shot in the leg while addressing a crowd in Wazirabad, Punjab.
Although the assassin claimed to be acting on his own, it was widely believed, especially by Khan and his supporters, that it was co-ordinated by his political adversaries.
He came to power in 2018 on a platform to fight corruption and fix Pakistan’s economy, but he has been involved in legal battles since he was removed from power in 2022.
Since then, Khan’s political rivals – Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and Pakistan People's Party – led by two political families who have dominated Pakistani politics for decades, have been regaining control of the country.
It is widely expected that Mr Sharif, the PML-N candidate, will win the election and become Pakistan’s prime minister for a record fourth term.
Several criminal convictions, which Khan and his party believe to be politically motivated, have now barred him from standing in general elections on Thursday.
“We’re coming up to these so-called democratic elections. There's nothing democratic about them," Mr Bukhari said.
"Every single thing is being done to suppress the popularity of Imran Khan and his party.
“And unfortunately, the world is quiet.”
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The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
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Where to buy and try:
Nutritional yeast
Bulletproof coffee
Amasake
Charcoal drinks and dishes
Various juice bars, including Comptoir 102
Jackfruit
Supermarkets across the UAE
Draw for Europa League last-16
Istanbul Basaksehir v Copenhagen; Olympiakos Piraeus v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Rangers v Bayer Leverkusen; VfL Wolfsburg v Shakhtar Donetsk; Inter Milan v Getafe
Sevilla v AS Roma; Eintracht Frankfurt or Salzburg v Basel; LASK v Manchester United
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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Specs
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
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Name: Mohammed Imtiaz
From: Gujranwala, Pakistan
Arrived in the UAE: 1976
Favourite clothes to make: Suit
Cost of a hand-made suit: From Dh550
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
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The permutations for UAE going to the 2018 World Cup finals
To qualify automatically
UAE must beat Iraq.
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
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Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 182hp @ 5,800rpm
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UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
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Key facilities
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Defence review at a glance
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• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
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The five pillars of Islam
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final, first leg:
Liverpool 5
Salah (35', 45 1'), Mane (56'), Firmino (61', 68')
Roma 2
Dzeko (81'), Perotti (85' pen)
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old - Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old - Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old - Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old - Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
The Beach Bum
Director: Harmony Korine
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg
Two stars
