UN Says Imran Khan’s Arrest Was Unfair and Politically Motivated
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has stated that the detention and prosecution of Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), were without legal basis and politically motivated. The group highlighted that these actions were intended to exclude him from the political arena.
Details of the Cases
Imran Khan faced two Toshakhana cases. In the first case, he was accused of hiding details about gifts he received while he was the prime minister. In the second case, he and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were accused of keeping a jewelry set from the Saudi crown prince at a low value.
On August 5 last year, a trial court in Islamabad convicted Imran Khan in the first Toshakhana case, leading to a three-year jail sentence. He was arrested by Punjab police the same day. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified him for five years, but the Islamabad High Court later suspended his sentence.
UN’s Findings
The UN group found many legal inconsistencies in the court proceedings against Imran Khan. They concluded that his detention was intended to disqualify him from running for political office. The group also noted that his prosecution in the cipher case lacked legal grounding.
The UN group observed that the timing of the prosecutions seemed aimed at preventing Imran Khan from contesting the general election scheduled for November 2023. They stated that the prosecutions appeared to be related to his leadership of PTI and aimed at silencing him and his supporters.
Recommendations
The UN group recommended that the government release Imran Khan immediately and provide him with compensation. They also urged a full and independent investigation into the circumstances of his detention and appropriate measures against those responsible.
Current Status
Imran Khan is currently in Adiala Jail for the Iddat case. His sentences in the Toshakhana cases were suspended, and he was acquitted in the cipher case by the Islamabad High Court.
