Imran Khan, 70, has been at the heart of political turmoil since he was ousted as prime minister in a vote of no-confidence last year, raising concern about Pakistan’s stability as it grapples with an economic crisis. “Imran Khan will be freed if his case is heard on merit,” his lawyer, Naeem Panjutha, said ahead before the court took up the appeal.

The former prime minister has told his lawyers to take him out from the Attock jail as he does not want to remain in a cell that is infested with flies during the day and insects at night.

Imran Khan, charged with corruption in the Toshakhana case and sentenced to three years, is unhappy and worried as he remains holed up in his prison cell.

The 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician was arrested on Saturday shortly after an Islamabad trial court found him guilty of “corrupt practices” in the case.

Khan has appealed his conviction by filing a plea at the Islamabad High Court.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman has asked his legal team that he does not wish to remain in prison, Geo News quoted sources in the Attock jail privy to the meeting between Khan and his lawyer as saying.

“Take me out of here; I don’t want to remain in jail,” the officials quoted Imran Khan, as saying as reported by news agency ANI, citing Geo News of Pakistan.

Panjotha added that the PTI chief was in high morale despite all such difficulties and vowed to spend his lifetime in jail but wouldn’t bow to slavery, reported Geo News.

However, the sources said that the PTI chairman, during the meeting with his lawyer, conveyed his concerns regarding the environment at the prison with flies taking over his cell during the day and insects at night.

On Saturday, Pakistan district and sessions court sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case i.e. for illegally selling state gifts and he has been disqualified from politics for a period of five years, local media reported.

The court also imposed a fine of ₹100,000 on the PTI chief, Geo News reported.

Khan was arrested from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore soon after being convicted in the Toshakhana case, Geo News reported.

Dawn reported that during the hearing, presided by Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar, the trial court ruled that charges against the former prime minister in the case were proven.

“Imran Khan deliberately submitted fake details [of Toshakhana gifts] to the ECP and is found guilty of corrupt practices,” he stated and sent the PTI chief to jail for three years under Section 174 of the Election Act.

The development comes after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday set aside the session court’s verdict on the Toshakhana reference against PTI Chairman as maintainable and ordered the lower court to rehear the case.

*With inputs from agencies

Updated: 09 Aug 2023, 04:28 PM IST