ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday claimed that he was being “victimised” for “standing up to powerful” quarters by exposing the cipher conspiracy.

While talking to reporters after the proceedings of the accountability court, Mr Khan vowed he would “never surrender in the face of tyranny”.

I would prefer to die in the dungeon than to surrender before a tyrant, he said, adding that his wife, Bushra Bibi, has been detained for seven months to teach him a lesson.

While referring to the victory of PTI-backed independent candidates in the February 8 general election, Mr Khan said it was a “silent revolution” which has been ignored to conceal the “election fraud”.

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The government is now attempting to “fix the Supreme Court”, he claimed, while referring to the recent legislation to amend the composition and powers of the apex court.

Mr Khan also criticised the interior minister and Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi over the team’s poor performance in Test matches against Bangladesh. The whitewash by Bangladesh is a “new low” in our cricketing, he said.

Mr Khan warned of a new wave of inflation, saying the government is consistently borrowing money while investment remains the lowest in history.

He said the situation was “ideal for a revolution” and urged the people to attend PTI’s Islamabad rally on September 8 to “raise voice for real freedom”.

While referring to the recent wave of terrorism in Balochistan, Mr Khan said elected representatives can address the situation and stressed the need for dialogue to end the “crisis-like situation” in the country.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2024