Imran, Pakistan's World Cup-winning captain, has been in jail since 2023 over corruption charges.
Pakistan batting legend Javed Miandad broke down in tears during a recent interview while making an emotional plea for the release of his jailed former teammate, Imran Khan.
Miandad firmly rejected corruption allegations, calling Khan an "honest man" who is not driven by money. He emphasized knowing the 1992 World Cup-winning captain closely through their decades together playing for Pakistan and in county cricket.
Miandad's public stance makes him the first prominent Pakistani cricketer to openly advocate for Imran Khan since his imprisonment in 2023.
The comments come amid heightened concern regarding Imran Khan’s declining health, isolation, and restricted medical access while held at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
Amid the ongoing Lord’s Test between England and Pakistan, Imran’s sons Kasim and Sulaiman Khan interacted with Michael Atherton for Sky Sports, where they alleged a "blatant" attempt to kill their father in prison, claiming his conditions have severely deteriorated under solitary confinement and that he is being denied critical medical care.
“He is an honest man. He is not someone who engages in corrupt practices, otherwise he would have done a lot of things,” Miandad said during an interview on the Narrative YouTube channel. “What will happen if you let him out? Will he eat or damage someone? He is also someone's son. I always think about what he must be doing.”
Miandad urged all involved stakeholders to sit down together, find a fair solution, and grant the legendary all-rounder justice.
Miandad also called Imran a national hero and expressed distress over his time in prison. He rejected claims that he and Imran were lifelong rivals, acknowledging past disagreements regarding Pakistan cricket, but emphasized that their main goal was always to win and represent Pakistan.
Earlier, 21 former international cricket captains—including Indian greats Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar—signed a joint letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif demanding immediate, adequate medical care and humane treatment for Imran Khan in prison. No former Pakistani cricketers were among the letter's signatories.