'Take me out of jail,' Imran pleads

Former prime minister Imran Khan has requested his legal team that he does not wish to remain in prison, according to sources in the Attock jail privy to the meeting between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and his lawyer.

The sources told Geo News that Khan, charged with corruption in the Toshakhana case and sentenced to three years in prison, is unhappy and worried as he remains holed up inside his prison cell in "distressing" conditions.

"Take me out of here; I don't want to remain in jail," the officials quoted Khan, as saying during his meeting with his lawyer.

Khan's counsel Naeem Haider Panjotha was granted access by the jail authorities Monday to meet him, who after seeing the PTI chairman said that the former premier was being kept in "distressing" conditions provided “C-Class jail facilities”.

Panjotha added that the PTI chief was in high morale despite all such difficulties and vowed to spend his lifetime in jail but wouldn't bow to slavery.

However, the sources said that the PTI chairman, during the meeting with his lawyer, conveyed his concerns regarding the environment at the prison with flies taking over his cell during the day and insects at night.

The former prime minister was arrested from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore after being convicted in the Toshakhana case with accusations of misusing his 2018 to 2022 premiership to buy and sell gifts in state possession that were received during visits abroad and worth more than Rs140 million ($635,000).

Khan denies the allegations against him.

"Charges of misdeclaration of assets have been proven against the PTI chairman," Additional and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar mentioned in his judgement.

Judge Dilawar sentenced the PTI chief to three-year imprisonment, issuing arrest warrants against him and a fine of Rs100,000.

The judge also rejected Khan's petition against the maintainability of the case.

The party of the former prime minister, who was ousted from office after a no-confidence motion was moved against him in April 2022, has moved the Supreme Court against the trial court's order, seeking to declare Judge Dilawar's verdict "null and void".

The PTI has also approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Aamer Farooq requesting Khan's transfer from Attock jail to Adiala jail.