NEW YORK: Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, expressed hope for a constructive change in the situation of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.
“We [UN Secretary-General] want to see the current political situation, the current situation of Mr. [Imran] Khan, evolve in a much more positive way,” Dujarric said in response to a question during a daily press briefing on Tuesday.
Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has been in jail since last August and was convicted in several cases ahead of a national election in February. His party claims the charges are politically motivated to prevent his return to power.
The question posed was about the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) unanimously recommending Khan’s unconditional release. Courts have recently suspended Khan’s jail sentences in two cases involving illegal acquisition and sale of state gifts and overturned his conviction on charges of leaking state secrets.
The UNWGAD stated on Monday that Khan’s detention was arbitrary and violated international law, calling for his immediate release and compensation. The group claimed Khan’s legal troubles were part of a broader campaign of repression against him and his party, alleging arrests, torture, and disrupted rallies of PTI members, and widespread election fraud.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar dismissed the UN report, calling Khan’s arrest and legal cases an “internal matter” of Pakistan. Tarar asserted that Khan has all rights under Pakistan’s constitution, laws, and international standards and emphasized that Khan is in jail as a convicted prisoner, with the country’s constitution and laws enforced by the courts.
Imran Khan, ousted from power by a no-confidence motion in April 2022, faces numerous charges ranging from corruption to terrorism since his removal. He has been in jail since last August after being sentenced in the Toshakhana case and other cases ahead of the February 8 elections. Despite securing relief in some cases, including the £190 million reference and Toshakhana, and being acquitted in the cipher case, Khan remains in jail due to his conviction in the iddat case.
