Exclusive: Imran Khan attacks government 'laughing stock' from his prison cell

The politician and former cricketer is currently in jail on charges he says are politically motivated. Photo: ARSHAD ARBAB/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock < p>Pakistan is at a “dangerous crossroads” after a failed election that left the government a laughing stock, jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan said.

While behind bars for The Telegraph, the cricketer-turned-politician says the nuclear-armed country of 240 million is in economic crisis and wracked by political anger after widely criticized February opinion polls.

Mr Khan, who is serving long sentences for corruption and national security measures that he claims are politically motivated, also raises the possibility that the country's military leadership could try to kill him.

Fifth largest population of the country of the world is suffering from political unrest. It has been more than two years since Mr Khan was ousted as prime minister in a parliamentary no-confidence vote.

The 71-year-old was widely believed to have been ousted by the country's powerful military establishment after a falling out with his leadership during his reign.

Since then, an avalanche of dozens of court cases has hit him. , while his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party faced severe repression during its campaign for the February elections.

The Pakistan Muslim League's Shehbaz Sharif became prime minister of the coalition government after those elections, but Britain said at the time that there were «serious concerns… about the fairness and lack of inclusiveness» of the poll.

Following the closure of polling stations following PTI's unexpectedly strong results, there were widespread allegations of fraud and irregularities in the early stages of the elections. PTI-backed candidates continued to win the largest number of seats in the national assembly.

The US State Department said at the time that it was «concerned about allegations of interference in the electoral process.» Allegations of interference or fraud must be fully investigated.”

In an article for The Telegraph, Mr Khan says: “The people have made clear their opposition to the state's electoral fraud and repression, imprisonment and torture not only of the PTI leadership but also of its workers.

“The military leadership has been openly criticized at a level never before seen in our history. The government is a joke.»

The former cricketer is still battling a barrage of legal cases after he was given lengthy prison sentences and banned from holding political office ahead of elections.

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Mr Khan was sentenced to three years in prison last August in a corruption case, and a few days before the elections he was given additional sentences, including 14 years for illegal sale of state gifts and 10 years for disclosing state secrets.< /п>Supporters of Mr Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaf party took to the streets demanding his release Photo: FAYAZ AHMED/EPA -EFE/Shutterstock

The former prime minister says the cases are an attempt to keep him out of politics.< /p>

He says: “The establishment has done everything they can against me. All they can do is kill me. I have publicly stated that if anything happens to me or my wife, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir will be held responsible.

“But I am not afraid because my faith is strong. I would prefer death to slavery.»

He says the only way out of the country's chaos is to «restore the people's mandate and release all political prisoners, including those in military court custody.»

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Political turmoil in Pakistan hit a country already facing runaway inflation and an economic crisis, as well as worsening terrorism along the border with Afghanistan.

Mr Sharif earlier this week expressed hope for a $1.1 billion disbursement ( £900 million) from the International Monetary Fund will «bring greater economic stability to Pakistan.»

Its £280 billion economy faces a chronic balance of payments crisis and faces nearly £19 billion in payments. debt and interest for the next financial year — three times more than the central bank's foreign exchange reserves.

Imran Khan