Cricket legend Imran Khan has gone from winning the World Cup with Pakistan to being locked up in an “insect-infected death cell.”
Khan, 73, famously captained his side to glory at the Cricket World Cup in 1992. By that point he was one of the top cricket players on the planet, having led Pakistan to their first-ever Test series wins over England and India.
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To this day, Khan holds the world record for most wickets as a captain in Test cricket.
And after retiring in 1992, he left the game with the all-rounder’s triple of 3,000 runs and 300 wicket takes.
Khan played 88 Test matches for Pakistan between 1971 and 1992, claiming 362 wickets at an average of 22.81
Khan then moved into politics and eventually became the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2018-2022.
But now, the veteran finds himself behind bars, The Sun reports.
Khan was sentenced to 14 years in jail over alleged corruption 11 months ago.
He has now been locked up in solitary confinement at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi and spends 23 hours a day by himself.
According to a United Nations report, Khan’s windowless cell contains an insect infestation, poor ventilation and sickening smells.
His family now fear they will never see him again, with sister Uzma Khanum granted a rare visit earlier this year.
She said: “He’s physically well. However, he said that they are subjecting him to mental torture, and that Asim Munir [Pakistan’s chief of army staff] is responsible for all of this.
“He’s kept inside all the time, and only goes out for a short while. There’s no contact with anybody.”
Khan himself has complained about the conditions, writing on X this year: “I am enduring the harshest prison term in the country’s history.
“The level of oppression and authoritarianism is such that even the water I have for ablution is filthy and contaminated with dirt, unfit for any human being.
“I have spent countless hours re-reading the same old books, but now even those are no longer available.
“Despite repeated requests, I have not been allowed to speak to my children. Political meetings have also been restricted; I am only permitted to meet certain “choice individuals”, while all other interactions are barred.”
Meanwhile, Khan’s wife is also being held in conditions that could pose a serious risk to her physical and mental health, a UN expert has warned.
Alice Jill Edwards, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, urged the Pakistani authorities to take immediate action to address the situation.
Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were convicted of graft in January, and they were sentenced to 14 years and seven years in prison, respectively.
And on Saturday, a Pakistani court sentenced them to 17 years for corruption involving gifts the jailed ex-premier received while in office.
Both Khan and Bibi were handed a 10-year prison sentence on criminal breach of trust, and seven years on corruption charges in a case alleging the underpricing of state gifts.
“The state has an obligation to protect Mrs. Khan’s health and ensure conditions of detention compatible with human dignity,” Edwards said in a statement.
Bibi is reportedly confined to a small and dirty cell which is often dark due to power cuts, said Edwards.
“Such conditions fall far below minimum international standards,” said Edwards.
“No detainee should be exposed to extreme heat, contaminated food or water, or conditions that aggravate existing medical conditions.”
Reports also indicate that she is often in near-total isolation for more than 22 hours a day.
“The authorities must ensure Mrs Khan has the possibility to communicate with her lawyers and receive visits from family members, and have meaningful human contact throughout her detention,” Edwards said.
The special rapporteur has formally raised Bibi’s situation with the government in Islamabad.
UN special rapporteurs are independent experts mandated by the Human Rights Council. They do not speak for the United Nations itself.
Earlier this month, Edwards said Khan was being held in conditions that could amount to torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment.
She urged the Pakistani authorities to ensure that the 73-year-old’s conditions of detention fully complied with international norms.
Khan, who captained Pakistan to victory in the 1992 Cricket World Cup, upended Pakistani politics by becoming the prime minister in 2018.
He was ousted in 2022 by a no-confidence vote after losing favour with the military.
The former cricket star has been held in custody since August 2023, charged in dozens of cases that he claims are politically motivated.
This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission.
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