‘I’d rather die in prison than accept tyranny,’ says Imran Khan from Adiala Jail

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan has vowed to resist the “oppressive forces”, even if it means going to jail.

He expressed these views during an informal conversation with journalists in Adiala Jail on Thursday.

He said that I am being told how dare I stand against the powerful. Let me be clear, I would rather die in prison than accept the tyranny of the present regime.

Imran Khan believes that the country is moving towards a revolution, he said that the silent revolution of February 8 should have awakened the decision makers. He criticized the irrational decisions being made and expressed his frustration at his wife Bushra Bibi’s imprisonment for seven months as a lesson for himself.

Regarding the issue of Balochistan, Imran Khan said that the situation worsened with the appointment of puppets. He supported the demand for local body elections in Balochistan and criticized the mismanagement of funds and lack of poverty alleviation. He said that if PTI was not active in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the situation there would have been as serious as in Balochistan.

Regarding terrorism, Imran Khan questioned the cause of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and whether the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was allegedly a result of PTI’s policies. He highlighted the need for a three-pronged approach to counter-terrorism: intelligence, dialogue and operations.

Talking about cricket, Imran Khan criticized the condition of Pakistani cricket and said that Mohsin Naqvi’s name was not published in any newspaper after the historic defeat. He expressed disappointment over Bangladesh’s win against Pakistan.