Javed Miandad's emotional Imran Khan plea: 'What will happen if you let him out?'

Pakistan batting great Javed Miandad broke down in tears while speaking about the imprisonment of his former teammate and captain Imran Khan, insisting that Khan is not corrupt and appealing for his release.Miandad, 69, played in six World Cups between 1975 and 1996 and was part of the Pakistan team that won the 1992 World Cup under Khan's captaincy.Khan, who served as Pakistan's Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022, has been in jail since 2023 after being convicted on corruption charges.Miandad's comments came after Khan underwent a medical examination in Islamabad before being taken back to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. Khan's party has questioned the way the examination was conducted, pointing out that Pakistan's Supreme Court had ordered his transfer to Shifa International Hospital, where he was to have access to a team of doctors, including his personal physician.The issue around Khan's health has also been raised by his sons. On Thursday, Sulaiman and Kasim Khan spoke to former England cricketer Michael Atherton at Lord's during the second Test between England and Pakistan.They said their father's condition was deteriorating and alleged that he was being kept in isolation for nearly 23 hours a day.Speaking about his former captain's continued imprisonment, Miandad became emotional as he defended Khan's character.“He is an honest man. He is not someone who engages in corrupt practices, otherwise he would have done a lot of things. What will happen if you let him out? Will he harm someone? He is also someone’s son. I always think about what he must be doing,” Miandad said on the Narrative YouTube channel.Miandad and Khan were among the players who helped Pakistan become a force in international cricket during the 1980s and 1990s.Their partnership was key to Pakistan's 1992 World Cup campaign. In the final against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Pakistan were in trouble early in their innings before Khan and Miandad put together a 134-run partnership.Pakistan went on to win the match and claim their first World Cup title.Imran Khan's sons' interview sparks controversyThe issue gained further attention on Thursday after reports said the Pakistan team had threatened not to take the field following an interview given by Khan's sons to a British broadcaster.Kasim Khan accused those holding his father of deliberately prolonging his imprisonment.“It’s very, very clear what they’re doing, which is they’re just blatantly trying to kill him in there,” Khan’s son, Kasim claimed. “They just want to keep him in there as long as possible and hopefully just silence him,” he added.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.