Islamabad, A UN group has demanded the immediate release of Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, saying at least two cases against him were "politically motivated" and aimed at excluding him from the country's political scene.
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention adopted its opinion on the detention of the 71-year-old founder of the Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf party ( ), at its 99th session, held from March 18 to 27 in Geneva.
The UN body said Khan's arrest and prosecution in the first Toshakhana corruption case and the cipher cases were "politically motivated" to exclude him from competing in the political arena. The UN group also said it had no legal basis. Reacting to the development, Pakistan's government on Tuesday dismissed the petition, saying the arrest of the jailed former prime minister and the pending cases against him were "internal matters."
Khan’s securing of redress in many cases is “a manifestation of a transparent and fair judicial and trial system. Any demand beyond the Constitution, the law and international standards will be considered discriminatory, biased and contrary to justice,” Justice Minister Azam Nazir Tarar said in a statement reacting to the UN agency's report.
He also said that Pakistan, as an independent state, enforces the constitution and existing laws through courts. "Imran Khan has all the rights under the country's constitution, law and international norms and is in prison as a convicted prisoner," Tarar said. His comments came after the Pakistani government's shameful accusation when the UN group called Khan's detention in at least two cases lacking legal basis.
Leader Zulfi Bukhari, reacting to the Law Minister's remarks, said that the issue of Khan's arrest is no longer an "internal matter" of Pakistan.
“The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, based in Geneva, after months of work, has given its official opinion. This is huge and reveals that Imran Khan's detention is illegal and he must be released immediately," Bukhari said in a statement on hold a political position. I thank everyone who has worked tirelessly on this case at the UN. “This is no longer an ‘internal matter,’” he added.
Dawn newspaper reported that the UN body based its opinion on its source's detailed and unrefuted statements about the ultra vires nature of the prosecution in the first Toshakhana case, as well as the context of the political repression of Khan and his party in the one in which that processing was developed. occurred.
“The task force 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, that prosecution was not based on law and was allegedly instrumentalized for a political purpose,” he said. He further added that the manner in which Khan was convicted in the first Toshakhana case (i.e. a summary sentence issued in absentia) and his subsequent arrest by law enforcement officers who broke into his residence and assaulted him and his staff were worrying and aggravated the illegality.
The task force further said that Khan's prosecution in the cipher case "lacks legal basis, as his actions do not appear to have violated the Official Secrets Act, as was apparently corroborated by intelligence services, according to unrebutted submissions." from the source".
The UN agency's 17-page report details the various cases in which Khan was arrested and how he was treated during the judicial proceedings. The main cases were the two Toshakhana cases and the cipher case. The first Tohakhana case alleged that Khan had “deliberately concealed” details of the gifts he withheld from the Toshaskhana (a warehouse where gifts given to government officials by foreign officials are kept). ) during his tenure as prime minister and the profits from his reported sales.
It is separate from Toshakhana's second corruption case against Khan and his wife Bibi, which alleged they withheld a set of jewelry received from the Saudi crown prince in exchange for an undervalued valuation.
The cipher case concerns a diplomatic document that, according to the Federal Investigation Agency's charge sheet, was never returned by then-Prime Minister Khan, who long maintained that the document contained a threat by the United States to overthrow his government. Regarding his rulings in the second Toshakhana case and the Iddat case, the UN group noted: “The working group cannot fail to note the coincidence in the timing of the four prosecutions, which effectively prevented Mr. "Khan participate in the general elections originally scheduled for November 2023."
Finally, elections were held on February 8, 2024 while Khan was still in prison.
The task force noted that, in the absence of any rebuttal from the government, “it would appear that the prosecutions brought against Mr. Khan are related to his leadership in the government and indicate a determination to silence him and his supporters and exclude their participation.” politics.”The group added that it was “evident” that the basis for his subsequent arrest and detention was the exercise of his freedom of assembly.
"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."
"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 said.
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention adopted its opinion on the detention of the 71-year-old founder of the Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf party ( ), at its 99th session, held from March 18 to 27 in Geneva.
The UN body said Khan's arrest and prosecution in the first Toshakhana corruption case and the cipher cases were "politically motivated" to exclude him from competing in the political arena. The UN group also said it had no legal basis. Reacting to the development, Pakistan's government on Tuesday dismissed the petition, saying the arrest of the jailed former prime minister and the pending cases against him were "internal matters."
Khan’s securing of redress in many cases is “a manifestation of a transparent and fair judicial and trial system. Any demand beyond the Constitution, the law and international standards will be considered discriminatory, biased and contrary to justice,” Justice Minister Azam Nazir Tarar said in a statement reacting to the UN agency's report.
He also said that Pakistan, as an independent state, enforces the constitution and existing laws through courts. "Imran Khan has all the rights under the country's constitution, law and international norms and is in prison as a convicted prisoner," Tarar said. His comments came after the Pakistani government's shameful accusation when the UN group called Khan's detention in at least two cases lacking legal basis.
Leader Zulfi Bukhari, reacting to the Law Minister's remarks, said that the issue of Khan's arrest is no longer an "internal matter" of Pakistan.
“The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, based in Geneva, after months of work, has given its official opinion. This is huge and reveals that Imran Khan's detention is illegal and he must be released immediately," Bukhari said in a statement on hold a political position. I thank everyone who has worked tirelessly on this case at the UN. “This is no longer an ‘internal matter,’” he added.
Dawn newspaper reported that the UN body based its opinion on its source's detailed and unrefuted statements about the ultra vires nature of the prosecution in the first Toshakhana case, as well as the context of the political repression of Khan and his party in the one in which that processing was developed. occurred.
“The task force 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, that prosecution was not based on law and was allegedly instrumentalized for a political purpose,” he said. He further added that the manner in which Khan was convicted in the first Toshakhana case (i.e. a summary sentence issued in absentia) and his subsequent arrest by law enforcement officers who broke into his residence and assaulted him and his staff were worrying and aggravated the illegality.
The task force further said that Khan's prosecution in the cipher case "lacks legal basis, as his actions do not appear to have violated the Official Secrets Act, as was apparently corroborated by intelligence services, according to unrebutted submissions." from the source".
The UN agency's 17-page report details the various cases in which Khan was arrested and how he was treated during the judicial proceedings. The main cases were the two Toshakhana cases and the cipher case. The first Tohakhana case alleged that Khan had “deliberately concealed” details of the gifts he withheld from the Toshaskhana (a warehouse where gifts given to government officials by foreign officials are kept). ) during his tenure as prime minister and the profits from his reported sales.
It is separate from Toshakhana's second corruption case against Khan and his wife Bibi, which alleged they withheld a set of jewelry received from the Saudi crown prince in exchange for an undervalued valuation.
The cipher case concerns a diplomatic document that, according to the Federal Investigation Agency's charge sheet, was never returned by then-Prime Minister Khan, who long maintained that the document contained a threat by the United States to overthrow his government. Regarding his rulings in the second Toshakhana case and the Iddat case, the UN group noted: “The working group cannot fail to note the coincidence in the timing of the four prosecutions, which effectively prevented Mr. "Khan participate in the general elections originally scheduled for November 2023."
Finally, elections were held on February 8, 2024 while Khan was still in prison.
The task force noted that, in the absence of any rebuttal from the government, “it would appear that the prosecutions brought against Mr. Khan are related to his leadership in the government and indicate a determination to silence him and his supporters and exclude their participation.” politics.”The group added that it was “evident” that the basis for his subsequent arrest and detention was the exercise of his freedom of assembly.
"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."
"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 said.
