Ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday alleged that a "London plan" was in the works to keep him behind bars for at least a decade on charges of sedition.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader claimed in a series of tweets wherein he alleged that the government was planning to "humiliate" him by arresting his wife, Bushra Bibi.
"So now the complete London plan is out. Using pretext of violence while I was inside the jail, they have assumed the role of judge, jury and executioner. The plan now is to humiliate me by putting Bushra begum (Khan's wife) in jail, and using some sedition law to keep me inside for next 10 years," he tweeted.
The cricketer-turned-politician predicted that his arrest would be followed by a full-blown crackdown on his party's leadership, which he claimed would eventually lead to a ban on the PTI.
"To ensure that there is no public reaction, they have done two things -- first deliberate terror is unleashed not just on PTI workers but on common citizens as well. Second, the media is totally controlled and muzzled," Khan further said.
Khan noted that this was a "deliberate attempt to instill fear" in the minds of the people so that people would not protest his arrest if the police take action against him in the more than 100 cases that have been filed against him across the country.
Despite the prevailing situation, Khan asserted that he would fight for the people of Pakistan till the "last drop of his blood".
"My message to the people of Pakistan; I will fight for Haqeeqi Azaadi (true freedom) till the last drop of my blood because for me death is preferable than to be enslaved by these assortments of crooks," he elaborated.
Since the Pakistan Supreme Court declared his arrest "invalid and unlawful" and asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to release him from its custody on Friday, the 1992 Cricket World Cup-winning captain has taken multiple potshots at the Sharif-led government and the country's Army.
Khan Hits Out at Army
On Saturday, Khan slammed Major-General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry - the chief of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) - the media wing of the Pakistan Army.
After Chaudhry labeled him a "hypocrite", Khan criticized the army general, saying that he should be "ashamed" for using such harsh words against him.
"Listen to me Mr DG ISPR... you were not even born when I was representing my country in the world and earning a good name for it. You should be ashamed of yourself for calling me a hypocrite and anti-Army," the former Pakistan PM who ruled the country from August 2018 to April 2022 said.
Violent Protests Hit Pakistan
Khan's arrest by the Pakistan rangers from the premises of the Islamabad High Court last Tuesday triggered violent protests in multiple cities across the nation.
The vandalism and arson that continued unabated till Friday resulted in the deaths of at least 10 people and injured dozens.
The protesters even trespassed into the Army headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi and ransacked the corps commander's residence in Lahore.
Several military and government institutions were also torched by the angry mob that was engaged in bloody clashes with security forces.