Last week, Zeteo published an exclusive interview with jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan. Mehdi sent questions to Khan through an intermediary and responses were sent in a letter from solitary confinement. It’s unlike anything Zeteo or Mehdi has done.

Read the explosive Q&A below where Khan blasts his country’s military, talks about his current state in prison, and shares his bigger message to the world – including why people should care about what’s happening in Pakistan.

Mehdi begins the piece by discussing the unique circumstances of this interview.

(Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on March 17, 2023. Photo by Akhtar Soomro/Reuters)

I first interviewed Imran Khan back in 2010, in print, for the New Statesman. In the 14 years since, I have spoken to him on multiple occasions, including televised interviews for Al Jazeera English and MSNBC.

But never before have I interviewed him like this.

Khan – the legendary cricket player who went from leading Pakistan to World Cup victory to leading his nation as Pakistan’s 22nd prime minister – is now sitting in a prison cell. Having been elected to high office in 2018, he was ousted four years later in a controversial no-confidence vote in parliament, after losing the support of his country’s all-powerful military. Khan, at the time, called it a U.S.-backed conspiracy against him (which the Biden administration consistently denies). In 2023, the Intercept obtained a classified Pakistani government document that suggested the U.S. State Department encouraged the Pakistani government to remove Khan from office over his neutrality on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Last year, the former premier was violently arrested by the Pakistani authorities, sparking protests on his behalf and brutal police crackdowns across the country.

Khan is now being kept in solitary confinement, even after being granted an appeal of his corruption conviction, as he serves out sentences for sharing state secrets and, bizarrely, violating marriage laws. Almost two years since surviving an assassination attempt, Khan continues to worry for his own safety and, in this interview with me below, accuses Pakistani authorities of subjecting him to “psychological tactics” designed to break his spirit. The Pakistani government has defended the arrest and prosecution of the former prime minister, arguing that he has been found guilty of illegal practices and claiming that his arrest had nothing to do with February’s elections, despite Khan’s overwhelming national popularity as Pakistan’s leading opposition figure.

In my exclusive interview with him below, Khan tells me the current Pakistani government, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, “lacks legitimacy.” He also has some, ahem, choice words for former Pakistani army chief of staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

I want to be clear: This was no ordinary, normal interview. Due to Khan’s imprisonment, I could only send a list of written questions for him to answer. I could not speak to him directly. And I was unable to ask any follow-up questions. Nevertheless, we believe that this exclusive interview for Zeteo with the former prime minister of Pakistan is of significant importance.

It is, therefore, also the first piece of content since our formal launch last month that we have decided to place behind a paywall, available solely for our paid subscribers. If you have a free subscription, please do consider upgrading it today and offering your financial support for Zeteo’s journalism, especially as we begin increasing the number of paywalls around our exclusive online content.

Mehdi: What is life behind bars like? Have you been subjected to mistreatment? Torture?

Imran Khan: I find myself confined in what is referred to as a death cell – a small, isolated space typically reserved for terrorists. The authorities are determined to cast me in this light. In solitary confinement, I am denied even the basic rights of a prisoner. They employ psychological tactics to break my spirit, but my heart, fortified by faith in Allah, remains strong. I keep myself occupied and mentally sharp through exercise and reading. Here, it’s all about preparing and conditioning oneself for whatever may come next. Allah’s strength keeps me resilient, content, and focused.

Who do you blame for your current imprisonment? Your Pakistani political rivals, the Pakistani military, the United States? Or all of the above?

Over these past two years, I’ve had ample time to reflect, analyzing every move and its consequences. After 11 months in prison, I am certain that this ordeal was orchestrated solely by General Bajwa. I hold no one else responsible. He meticulously planned and executed this scheme, presenting himself as a deceitful figure, creating lies and false narratives to cause both national and international chaos – all to secure his extension. He utterly failed to grasp the detrimental impact of his actions on democracy and Pakistan.

Do you still believe the Biden administration was involved in a coup to remove you from office? 

General Bajwa single-handedly spread stories to countries like the U.S., painting me as anti-American or uninterested in good relations with them. The narrative that our trip to Russia was made unilaterally without consultation is completely false. The trip was a collective decision made after extensive deliberations. Yet, he portrayed it as an anti-American initiative by Imran Khan alone. His insatiable thirst for power rendered him unpredictable. God knows what other lies he disseminated to various countries. His personal greed turned him into a bull in a china shop.

You were left with no friends. You confronted the U.S. and India, fell out with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and China, and went to war with Pakistani generals and politicians. What were you thinking at the time? 

I have consistently fought for the rule of law in Pakistan. If justice were served equally, there would be no need for someone like me in politics. I have maintained good relations with most countries. General Bajwa’s poison may have had a short-term effect, but it will not last. Even after my government was toppled, I kept close ties with many leaders. Most countries view our army as a stabilizing force in a volatile political landscape. When the chief of this “one constant” uses brute force and deceit, it becomes difficult for many countries to speak out. I don’t mind if no one speaks about my treatment, but the world should raise its voice for democracy and the 250 million people of Pakistan, whose mandate has been stolen in broad daylight.

Do you have any regrets?

My only regret is trusting General Bajwa.

(Policemen escort Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan, center, as he arrives at the high court in Islamabad on May 12, 2023. Photo by Aamir Qureshi/AFP via Getty Images)

Do you recognize the current government of Pakistan, or do you believe your party actually won the recent elections and is the legitimate, or ‘real,’ government of Pakistan? 

This government lacks legitimacy. The PML-N barely won 17 seats in Parliament. The violence, torture, and pre-poll rigging were evident. After the elections, it took them nearly two days to alter the results. I urge you, Mehdi, and your channel to scrutinize Form 45. You will see the blatant rigging. They couldn’t even do it properly. This is not just my perspective; ask any Pakistani, and they will tell you this government is not legitimate. My party’s victory was clear, despite their efforts to undermine our identity and leadership.

A lot of your supporters in Pakistan see you almost as a messianic figure. Do you feel there is something special about you or your mission? Is this a religious or even holy mission for you? 

No, Mehdi, I do not regret my actions. I am fulfilling my duty as a Pakistani and a Muslim. God has given me everything – from money to fame. It would be unjust to indulge solely in personal gain. If I am popular and people follow me, it is because they know I would never lie to them. They know no amount of money can buy or change me. They know I will never bow down and disappoint them. I show them a life they deserve and can achieve if we adhere to our principles. I have highlighted our country’s potential and how other parties have exploited it for their personal gain. My connection with my people is strong, and together we will succeed.

What is your message to the world? Why should people outside of Pakistan care what is happening to you?

My message is simple: This is not just about Imran Khan. This is an attack on democracy and the right to self-determination of 250 million people. Silence has prevailed while men, women, and children have been killed, abducted, and tortured. Only one political party has been victimized in every conceivable way. Recently, my information secretary was attacked on the road with blades. Platforms like X have been blocked in Pakistan for months. Mentioning my name on TV is prohibited. My main leaders are still not allowed to appear on national television. Every party in the country describes this election as the worst in our history. Elections are supposed to bring political stability by earning the people’s trust and mandate. This election has achieved neither, only creating more uncertainty and a greater trust deficit between the people and the ruling elite.