Imran Khan Slams Army Chief Asim Munir, Says Pakistan Turned Into 'Hard State' By Force

Lahore: Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan on Wednesday slammed Army chief Asim Munir for turning Pakistan into a "hard state" through force.

The 73-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician has been in jail for over two years in multiple cases.

"In its true sense, a hard state means a country where the supremacy of the Constitution, rule of law, justice, and democratic freedoms prevail...However, Asim Munir's version of a 'hard state' means a system where all democratic pillars are crushed and replaced by 'Asim Law'," Khan said in a post on X.

"Let it be clear... no state can ever become 'hard' or strong without the support and consent of its people. The atrocities being committed under the so-called Asim Law are not strengthening the state; rather, they are weakening its very foundations," he said.

Khan also claimed that he was kept in complete isolation in jail.

"I am being kept in complete isolation. There has never been a greater example of political victimisation in Pakistan's history. I am being denied basic facilities guaranteed under the jail manual," he said, adding that over the past 10 months, he had been allowed to speak to his sons only once - for two brief intervals of three minutes each.

"I am not only being deprived of fundamental human rights but also being denied the right, as party leader, to meet my political colleagues. Continuous hurdles are being placed in meetings with my lawyers, party members, and family. This is a clear and blatant violation of my basic and legal rights," he said.

Khan said that during his party's government, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa enjoyed peace as a result of sound policies.

"But since the regime change, the situation has been deteriorating continuously... The current tensions with Afghanistan are deeply concerning. Hatred and confrontation serve no one's interest; only policies made by genuine representatives of the people can provide a lasting solution to terrorism," he said.

Zulfi Bokhari, a close aide of Khan, said on X that Imran Khan will be kept in complete isolation until October 29, with no one allowed to meet him.

"Yesterday, Bushra Bibi's family was forced to wait outside Adiala Prison, Rawalpindi, for over six hours, only to be denied visitation and even the right to deliver her basic daily essentials. This is not just cruelty, it's a blatant violation of fundamental human and prisoner rights," he added.

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