Islamabad [Pakistan], the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention highlighted that the arrest and prosecution of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf () founder Imran Khan in the first Toshakhana case and the Cipher case "lacked legal basis" and were politically motivated, Amanecer reported.
The UN report further stated that his detention in these cases was politically motivated to exclude him from competing in the political arena.
According to the first Toshakhana case, Imran had "deliberately concealed" details of the gifts he withheld from Toshaskhana, a warehouse where gifts given to government officials by foreign officials are kept, during his tenure as prime minister and the earnings from his reports. sales.Meanwhile, the second Toshakhana case concerns a reference against Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi for withholding a set of jewelery received from the Saudi crown prince despite an undervalued valuation, Dawn reported.
Early on August 5 last year, a trial court in Islamabad convicted the founder in the first case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and jailed him for three years.
He was later arrested by the Punjab Police on the same day at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore. The ECP subsequently disqualified him for five years following his conviction.
However, the Islamabad High Court later suspended his three-year sentence.
Notably, the UN body adopted its ruling on the founder's detention at its 99th session from March 18 to 27, according to the document published on June 18, as reported by Dawn. The report lists many inconsistencies and legal irregularities in the various legal proceedings of the founder, adding that it is issuing its opinion on whether Imran Khan's detention was arbitrary.
He said that based on his source's detailed and unrebutted submissions about the ultra vires nature of the prosecution in the first Toshakhana case, as well as the context of the political repression of Imran and his party in which that prosecution occurred, "the group of work concludes that his detention had no legal basis and appears to have been aimed at disqualifying him from running for political office. Therefore, from the beginning, this prosecution was not based on the law and was apparently instrumentalized for a purpose. political".
He highlighted that the manner in which Imran was convicted in the first Toshakhana case (i.e. a summary trial given in absentia) and his subsequent arrest by law enforcement personnel who barged into his residence and assaulted him and his staff were worrying and aggravated the illegality, Dawn reported. The task force further said that Imran's prosecution in the encrypted case "lacks legal basis, as his actions do not appear to have violated the Official Secrets Act, as was apparently corroborated by the intelligence services, according to unreported communications." refuted from the source".
Regarding its rulings in the second Toshakhana case and the Iddat case, the UN group stated: "The working group cannot fail to note the coincidence in the timing of the four prosecutions, which effectively prevented Mr. Khan from participating in the general elections originally scheduled for November 2023. ".
It further summarized that "observing the convergence of factors that appear to be aimed at preventing Mr. Khan from running in the elections and restricting his party's fair participation in the elections, and in the absence of any response from the government, the working group concludes that, At a minimum, the arrest, detention and prosecution of Mr. Khan in the first Toshakhana case and in the Cipher case lacked any legal basis and would appear to be politically motivated to exclude his participation in the elections."The working group noted that, in the absence of any rebuttal from the government, "it would appear that the prosecutions brought against Khan are linked to his leadership and indicate a determination to silence him and his supporters and exclude their political participation", adding that it was "evident "that the basis of his subsequent arrest and detention was the exercise of his freedom of assembly.
Concluding its opinion, the working group said that Imran's deprivation of liberty was arbitrary and called on the government to take necessary measures to remedy the founder's situation without delay and bring it into conformity with relevant international standards.
"The working group considers that, taking into account all the circumstances of the case, the appropriate remedy would be to immediately release Mr. Khan and grant him an enforceable right to compensation and other remedies, in accordance with international law," Dawn reported. "The working group urges the government to ensure a full and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the arbitrary deprivation of liberty of Mr. Khan and to take appropriate measures against those responsible for the violation of his rights," the opinion says.
Reacting to the working group's opinion, they called it a "huge" advance.
Imran is currently imprisoned in the Iddat case in Adiala Jail. His sentences in the two Toshakhana cases were suspended while he was acquitted by the Islamabad High Court in the Cipher case, Dawn reported.
The UN report further stated that his detention in these cases was politically motivated to exclude him from competing in the political arena.
According to the first Toshakhana case, Imran had "deliberately concealed" details of the gifts he withheld from Toshaskhana, a warehouse where gifts given to government officials by foreign officials are kept, during his tenure as prime minister and the earnings from his reports. sales.Meanwhile, the second Toshakhana case concerns a reference against Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi for withholding a set of jewelery received from the Saudi crown prince despite an undervalued valuation, Dawn reported.
Early on August 5 last year, a trial court in Islamabad convicted the founder in the first case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and jailed him for three years.
He was later arrested by the Punjab Police on the same day at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore. The ECP subsequently disqualified him for five years following his conviction.
However, the Islamabad High Court later suspended his three-year sentence.
Notably, the UN body adopted its ruling on the founder's detention at its 99th session from March 18 to 27, according to the document published on June 18, as reported by Dawn. The report lists many inconsistencies and legal irregularities in the various legal proceedings of the founder, adding that it is issuing its opinion on whether Imran Khan's detention was arbitrary.
He said that based on his source's detailed and unrebutted submissions about the ultra vires nature of the prosecution in the first Toshakhana case, as well as the context of the political repression of Imran and his party in which that prosecution occurred, "the group of work concludes that his detention had no legal basis and appears to have been aimed at disqualifying him from running for political office. Therefore, from the beginning, this prosecution was not based on the law and was apparently instrumentalized for a purpose. political".
He highlighted that the manner in which Imran was convicted in the first Toshakhana case (i.e. a summary trial given in absentia) and his subsequent arrest by law enforcement personnel who barged into his residence and assaulted him and his staff were worrying and aggravated the illegality, Dawn reported. The task force further said that Imran's prosecution in the encrypted case "lacks legal basis, as his actions do not appear to have violated the Official Secrets Act, as was apparently corroborated by the intelligence services, according to unreported communications." refuted from the source".
Regarding its rulings in the second Toshakhana case and the Iddat case, the UN group stated: "The working group cannot fail to note the coincidence in the timing of the four prosecutions, which effectively prevented Mr. Khan from participating in the general elections originally scheduled for November 2023. ".
It further summarized that "observing the convergence of factors that appear to be aimed at preventing Mr. Khan from running in the elections and restricting his party's fair participation in the elections, and in the absence of any response from the government, the working group concludes that, At a minimum, the arrest, detention and prosecution of Mr. Khan in the first Toshakhana case and in the Cipher case lacked any legal basis and would appear to be politically motivated to exclude his participation in the elections."The working group noted that, in the absence of any rebuttal from the government, "it would appear that the prosecutions brought against Khan are linked to his leadership and indicate a determination to silence him and his supporters and exclude their political participation", adding that it was "evident "that the basis of his subsequent arrest and detention was the exercise of his freedom of assembly.
Concluding its opinion, the working group said that Imran's deprivation of liberty was arbitrary and called on the government to take necessary measures to remedy the founder's situation without delay and bring it into conformity with relevant international standards.
"The working group considers that, taking into account all the circumstances of the case, the appropriate remedy would be to immediately release Mr. Khan and grant him an enforceable right to compensation and other remedies, in accordance with international law," Dawn reported. "The working group urges the government to ensure a full and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the arbitrary deprivation of liberty of Mr. Khan and to take appropriate measures against those responsible for the violation of his rights," the opinion says.
Reacting to the working group's opinion, they called it a "huge" advance.
Imran is currently imprisoned in the Iddat case in Adiala Jail. His sentences in the two Toshakhana cases were suspended while he was acquitted by the Islamabad High Court in the Cipher case, Dawn reported.
