'Imran Khan extremely frustrated': Engineer Mirza details PTI founder's jail conditions

• Mirza gives first-hand account from cell near Imran Khan.
• Claims Imran Khan is allotted six cells at Adiala jail.
• Praises Khan's resilience, urges public to pray for him.
  

Islamic scholar Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza has challenged polarised claims about former prime minister Imran Khan’s jail conditions, offering a first-hand account from his recent incarceration in a neighbouring cell at Rawalpindi's Adiala jail.

Speaking to senior anchorperson Shahzeb Khanzada in Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzab Khanzada Kay Sath’ on Friday night, Mirza — who was recently released — said that claims of the incumbent government as well as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) about Imran Khan’s jail conditions are factually incorrect and extreme positions, The News reported.

Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving sentences at Adiala jail in multiple cases, while also facing pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) linked to the May 9, 2023, protests. 

The fresh revelations come weeks after Imran Khan’s sons claimed that their father is imprisoned in Adiala jail’s death cell, where he is facing “awful” conditions.

"The [jail] conditions are awful," said Kasim while speaking during an interview alongside his brother Sulaiman with Sky News.

Sulaiman had claimed that the electricity to Imran's cell is also cut off sometimes, along with the provision of dirty water and that his father was being subjected to "substandard conditions that don't meet international law for any prisoner".

However, rejecting the claims, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said Imran Khan is not being kept in isolation. He cautioned the former prime minister’s family and party against playing the “sympathy card”.

“How could he be alone in a jail with 1,200 inmates?” the minister asked, saying that Imran has access to gym equipment, a personal cook, and other facilities.

Engineer Mirza said that at first, he was unaware he would be placed in a facility directly beside Imran’s enclosure. He described that the PTI founder has been allotted six cells, each measuring 10/12 feet. According to Mirza, one cell is used by Imran’s orderly (mushaqati), another is his living quarter, and the remaining cells are used for storage, providing him with additional space.

“Imran Khan is extremely frustrated inside,” Mirza asserted, adding that he would have likely reached a similar state of frustration sooner had he endured two years.

He also recounted an incident, saying: “One day, while I was walking, I heard Imran Khan’s voice, so I asked if it was Imran Khan’s voice. The inmates with me confirmed it was. The bishop present there told me that ‘I used to have a cough, and Imran Khan complained that he couldn’t sleep at night, so I was shifted’."

The scholar described a routine where the former prime minister, who was removed from power through a no-confidence vote in 2022, would come for breakfast at 9am and engage in conversations, primarily about cricket, with his orderly.

“People are twisting narratives,” Mirza said, noting he would only disclose what the public could fairly bear.

He described the afternoon routine, saying the distinct smell of ‘desi ghee’ as Imran’s orderly cooked lunch around 3pm, a scent Mirza recognised as a consumer himself. He confirmed having access to television and newspapers during his detention.

Addressing the period of the “tweets case”, Mirza said Imran Khan was “truly angry” and would speak in a continuously loud voice. While he overheard many conversations, including on cricket, Mirza refused to divulge details, fearing it would “create difficulties for Imran Khan” and lead to the PTI accusing him of parroting others’ claims.

He praised Imran Khan’s resilience and urged the public to pray for him, revealing he had done so himself while imprisoned.

The scholar directly countered the widespread narrative of Imran Khan’s isolation. “When I went inside, I realised they were lying when they claimed he was kept isolated. It is a well-known place.” He declined to specify the exact location for security reasons, noting many prominent figures had previously occupied those same cells.

He also confirmed that Imran Khan receives basic facilities, including nuts, juices and access to news via an LED screen in his room — amenities he clarified are not exclusive but available throughout Adiala jail. A student of Mirza’s on duty there corroborated the receipt of two newspapers and the regular medical check-ups for high-profile inmates, a process Mirza also underwent.

“Jail is still jail,” the scholar concluded, emphasising that it is particularly challenging for an extroverted personality like Imran Khan.