Inquiry ordered after 'coded conversation' between Imran Khan and Attock Jail staffer spooks officials

Pakistani government officials at the Attock Jail have decided to conduct a security audit of all the employees after it was found that an alleged "coded conversation" took place between a jail official and former prime minister Imran Khan.

ThePakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief has been lodged in the historic Attock jail ever since he was convicted by the Islamabad trial court in the Toshakhana case.

According to Pakistani media reports, the jail administration was not able to decipher some of the conversations between the staffer and Khan while going through the recordings. Consequently, the biodata of over 150 prison staff has been recalledto be sent to the Special Branch and other institutions for security clearance.

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The historicalAttock Jail, built in 1906, has previously witnessed several Pakistani political bigwigs being lodged on its premises. Being an ancient facility, the jail can only house 1,000 prisoners, with 700 currently residing inside the boundaries.

However, owing to Khan's high-profile status and the security risks associated, the jail authorities are planningto transfer more than 100 prisoners from the jail to Adiala and other jails.

Meanwhile, Khan's party has approached theIslamabad High Court seeking his transfer to Adiala and A-Class facilities.

Imran Khan's message

After the arrest, a pre-recorded video of Khan was released by his party wherein he urged his supporters to not stop protesting.

“My Pakistanis, by the time this message reaches you, I will be arrested and put in jail. My only appeal to you is not to sit quietly at home. The struggle that I am going through, it is not for myself, it is for you. This struggle is for your generations. If you don't stand up for your rights, (but) live the life of a slave...Mind you, slaves have no life of their own. Slaves are like ants on land. They don’t make it to greater heights," said Khan.

“This is a battle of justice, your rights, and freedom. Always remember that no one offers freedom on a plate. You keep protesting until you get your rights. And the biggest fundamental right is to elect the government of your choice through ballot,” he added.

Also watch |Pakistan: Imran Khan found guilty in Toshakhana case

What is the Toshakhana corruption case?

The PTI chief is accused of concealing, in his asset declarations, details of the gifts he retained from the Toshakhana - the treasury, established in 1974, where presents given to government officials from foreign officials are kept. The case came to the fore in August 2022 when the coalition government led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) filed the case against Imran.

(With inputs from agencies)

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