Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has said he will prefer to live in the dark cell of a prison, instead of accepting slavery, as he urged his supporters to stage protests against the hybrid regime.

Khan called on the workers of his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), to stage an uprising against the current regime after Ashura, the 10th day of mourning in Moharram to commemorate the 7th-century martyrdom of the Prophet's grandson, Imam Hussein, which falls on July 6 this year.

"To the entire nation, especially PTI workers and supporters, I urge them to rise against this tyrannical system after Ashura," Khan posted on X on Tuesday.

"I would rather live in a dark prison cell than accept this slavery," added Khan, who has been in jail for nearly two years in multiple cases.

Khan said that his voice is being silenced through every possible means so that his message does not reach the people.

Commenting on Army Chief Asim Munir, Khan said, "When a dictator comes to power, he doesn’t need votes - he rules through brute force." Calling the judiciary in the country a "sub-department of the executive", Khan said that "courts are filled with hand-picked judges, while independent judges are rendered powerless." "This only happens under martial law," he said while pointing out that freedom of speech has been completely crushed in the country, and independent journalists are being targeted.

Khan is booked in several cases in Lahore in connection with the May 9, 2023, violence, including for allegedly inciting his supporters to attack government and military buildings, which erupted after his arrest by paramilitary Rangers from the Islamabad High Court premises.

The 72-year-old cricketer-turned-politician has been behind bars since August 2023 after he was booked in multiple cases.

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