Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi vowed not to leave Islamabad’s D-Chowk without her husband as protesters marched to the federal capital.

“Today, on Khan’s call, all of Pakistan has gathered in Islamabad, demonstrating the belief that he is enduring an unjust imprisonment,” she said while addressing her party supporters. “No one can endure a political imprisonment like the one her leader is facing.”

Bibi described the cell where Khan is kept as being “filled with filth” that one cannot even imagine.

“He is made to sleep on the ground, and he hasn’t been able to sleep properly for days. When I visited, his eyes were swollen. He told me, ‘There is no mat or blanket; they have given me nothing, and the ground is so filthy that it’s impossible to sleep.’ In response to our outcry, they provided him with a broken charpoy, making it impossible for him to lie down straight or turn comfortably.”

Bibi further disclosed that her husband was given a “bucket of water for ablutions, which is also used for the bathroom.”

Khan’s wife urging them to make a commitment not to leave D-Chowk until Khan returns among them. “I promise you that I will not leave D-Chowk without Khan. If anyone tells you that Bibi has left, it will be a lie.”

She emphasised their determination to stay at D-Chowk, stating, “We will go to D-Chowk, and if we have to sit in protest there, we will. Whether there is a shortage of food or water, we will not leave that place.”