Imran Khan's lawyers urge UN probe into 'abuse' during detention

Image released by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) shows former prime minister Imran Khan during his appearance at the Supreme Court on May 16, 2024. —PTI

Imran Khan’s lawyers urge UN probe into 'abuse' during detention

Image released by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf shows former prime minister Imran Khan during his appearance at the Supreme Court on May 16, 2024. —PTIFormer prime minister Imran Khan’s international legal team has appealed to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, alleging that the jailed...

Former prime minister Imran Khan’s international legal team has filed an appeal with the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, alleging that the jailed opposition leader is facing systematic mistreatment in violation of Pakistan’s international commitments.

The complaint, submitted by Perseus Strategies on behalf of Khan’s lawyers, details what it describes as a “systematic pattern of abuse,” including extended solitary confinement, denial of medical treatment, contaminated food, and restricted access to both legal counsel and family members.

According to the filing, these conditions breach Pakistan’s obligations under the Convention Against Torture (CAT) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

In a statement attached to the appeal, Khan’s son, Sulaiman Khan, condemned his father’s treatment: “Our father is being kept in conditions that no human being should endure. These are violations of his rights, and they amount to torture.”

The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, who reports to the Human Rights Council, has the authority to act on credible allegations by launching investigations, conducting fact-finding visits, and submitting reports to both the Council and the UN General Assembly.

Khan’s legal team has urged the Special Rapporteur to intervene, investigate his case, and press Pakistani authorities to ensure his safety and well-being.

Kasim Khan, another of the opposition leader’s sons, echoed the appeal: “The UN has already recognised that our father’s imprisonment is arbitrary and unlawful. What he is enduring now shows how far the regime will go to break him. But he will not be broken.”

Zulfi Bukhari, Khan’s adviser on international affairs, said the filing highlights both the scale of abuse and Khan’s resilience: “He is enduring unlawful imprisonment and degrading treatment, but he remains a symbol of courage and peaceful resistance.”

The 71-year-old former cricket star has been incarcerated since August 2023, facing multiple cases ranging from corruption to terrorism after his ouster from power through a no-confidence vote in April 2022.