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France 24
France 24
World
Marc PERELMAN

Ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan says arrest bid aimed to jail him before elections

THE INTERVIEW © FRANCE 24

Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan granted an interview to FRANCE 24 from Lahore. Earlier this week, police came to arrest him at his home for not appearing in court over a corruption case, a move that sparked clashes with his supporters. "They are scared of the coming elections on April 30 and they wanted me in jail before that," Khan told FRANCE 24, adding that he would attend a court hearing on March 18. "No political leader has ever suffered this sort of attack," he added.

Khan, who is also chairman of the opposition PTI party, said he has 85 court cases pending against him, including blasphemy, sedition and terrorism. "The level of victimisation going on in this country is unprecedented. The main reason is they don't want me to compete in the elections," he said. 

"I have never broken the law," he added.

The former premier, who served from 2018 to 2022, was wounded in an assassination attempt back in November 2022. Khan said he believes his life is still "under threat".

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