A petition was filed in a Pakistani court on Friday for the release of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan due to the fear of a drone attack on the prison where he is kept, amidst tensions with India.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in a WhatsApp message said that the party's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur approached the Islamabad High Court for the release of the party founder. Khan, 72, been incarcerated in Adiala Jail of Rawalpindi, the garrison city.

“The Islamabad High Court has been approached for the release of Imran Khan. An application has been filed by Chief Minister KP Ali Amin,” it stated.

“It has been requested that in view of the current war situation with India, for national harmony and solidarity, and due to the fear of a drone attack in Adiala Jail, he be immediately released on parole/probation.” The court has not set any date for the hearing of the plea.

Ties between India and Pakistan plummeted following the Pahalgam terror attack.

The Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out precise missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan under ‘Operation Sindoor’ in a strong response to the terror attack in Pahalgam.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.