Imran Khan: Pakistan authorities 'petrified of elections'
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan says only 鈥榝ree and fair elections鈥� will save Pakistan
Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan has told 麻豆社 HARDtalk the authorities are 鈥榩etrified鈥� of an election, which is expected to take place later this year.
Mr Khan said the country was operating under 鈥榰ndeclared martial law鈥�, accusing the authorities of 鈥榙ismantling our democracy鈥�.
He alleged that his country was seeing its freedom curtailed citing his concern over proposed new laws which he said would give wide and undemocratic powers to the intelligence agencies.
鈥楿nfortunately, the country has been taken over by fascists, and they are petrified of elections,鈥� he said. The reason why I'm suffering is because they know that [in the] elections, we would win hands down. And because of that, they're dismantling our democracy.鈥�
Mr Khan was elected prime minister in 2018, ruling for just under four years before being ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote last year. Observers say his political downfall began when he fell out with Pakistan鈥檚 powerful military.
In August 2023, Mr Khan was given a three-year jail sentence after he was found guilty of not declaring money earned from selling gifts he received in office. The sentence will lead to his disqualification before the upcoming elections.
Pakistan's military has for decades held a firm grip over how the country is run. Mr Khan claims that his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is "the only party that was not created by military dictators", even though many critics argue that Mr Khan had the backing of the army during his rise to power.
He alleges that this is why there has been a campaign to dismantle it. In the last few months, the party has seen significant defections, and arrests of key members. But Mr Khan insists it is intact.
