By DPA
Islamabad : Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan was released from jail Wednesday after he vowed to continue his hunger strike “to the death” over the emergency rule in the country, his party said.
Khan was detained last week and charged under anti-terrorism laws after he came out of hiding to attend a students’ protest in Lahore against the emergency imposed by President Pervez Musharraf on Nov 3.
He launched his hunger strike Monday at a jail in the Punjab province town of Dera Ghazi Khan where he was resting at a friend’s house after his release.
“He is very adamant and strong but doctors have warned us that if he does not drink water soon his kidneys will be affected,” said information secretary Jawaid Iqbal of Khan’s liberal Tehrik-i-Insaf (Movement for Justice) party.
Khan was expected to travel to Lahore Thursday where he will continue his campaign against the state of emergency and military rule by Musharraf. “There is no compromise on that,” Iqbal added.
The former sports star is demanding the restoration of the constitution and the reinstatement of the Supreme Court judges who were purged from the judiciary.
Khan was among more than 3,400 detained political activists the government says it is releasing to help normalise the situation.
While Khan is well known around the world for his cricketing prowess, his party has limited support in Pakistan.