A group of UN experts has stated that the detention of Imran Khan, former Pakistani prime minister, is arbitrary and violates international law. They have called for his immediate release.
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention expressed concerns about multiple cases against Khan since his ousting in April 2022. They found his detention had “no legal basis” and seemed intended to disqualify him from political office. The group declared that the prosecution was not legally grounded and was used for political purposes.
The working group’s opinion, dated March 25 and published on Monday, urges Pakistan’s government to “take the steps necessary to remedy the situation.” They added, “The appropriate remedy would be to release Mr. Khan immediately and accord him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law.”
اقوام متحدہ کے ورکنگ گروپ کی رپورٹ کے بعد پوری قوم کا مطالبہ ہے کہ ان کے محبوب قائد عمران خان کو فوراً رہا کیا جائے !
انصاف ڈاکٹرز فورم مطالبہ کرتی ہے کہ اس ظلم و بربریت کا یہ سلسلہ اب بند کیا جائے، عوامی مینڈیٹ کو تسلیم کیا جائے!
#SeatsBelongToPTI #InsafDoctorsForumKP pic.twitter.com/9Nggbdybrt
— Insaf Doctors Forum KP (@IDFKPOfficial) July 2, 2024
They also called for a “full and independent investigation” into Khan’s detention and appropriate actions against those responsible for violating his rights.
Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), called the ruling “a huge victory.” PTI spokesman Syad Zulfiqar Bukhari stated, “It has shown without any one percent of doubt that Imran Khan is innocent and has been thrown into prison illegally.”
Imran Khan, who was prime minister from 2018 to 2022, faces over 200 legal cases since his removal. He has been detained since August last year and barred from office. Although his 14-year prison sentences for graft were suspended in April and his 10-year sentence for treason was overturned last month, he remains in jail over an illegal marriage conviction.
Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced to seven years in February for marrying too soon after her divorce under Islamic law. An Islamabad court deferred a plea to suspend these sentences, with a decision expected on July 12.
Analysts suggest Pakistan’s powerful military, which has ruled directly for decades, is behind the cases against Khan. He was ousted by a no-confidence vote after falling out with top generals. Khan then led an unprecedented campaign against them and accused top officers of conspiring in an assassination attempt in November 2022.
Khan’s brief arrest in May 2023 led to nationwide unrest and a crackdown on PTI leaders. The UN working group voiced concern over the “political repression” of PTI and the alleged arrest and disappearance of Khan’s close colleague. They also urged authorities to address the widespread arrests and disappearances of PTI supporters.
