Imran Khan: Following the UN rapporteur’s findings, Tehreek-e-Insaf wants “solitary confinement” to cease
Imran Khan: According to Dawn, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has expressed grave concern over a report by Alice Jill Edwards, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, which claims that Imran Khan, the party’s founder and former prime minister of Pakistan, is being treated inhumanely and degradingly while incarcerated at Adiala Jail.
The party’s Central Media Department told Dawn in a statement on Saturday that the UN report had confirmed the party’s long-standing position that Imran Khan was being handled in a “inhuman, unlawful and degrading manner” motivated by political victimization.
The report, which was made public on Friday, asked Pakistani authorities to follow international rules and norms and cautioned that the circumstances of his incarceration may amount to cruel or degrading treatment.
Imran Khan’s extended solitary confinement of up to 23 hours per day, constant CCTV monitoring, seclusion from the outside world, difficulties interacting with family members and legal counsel, limitations on his religious activities, and denial of basic requirements were all underlined in the report, according to PTI. The party described these circumstances as a blatant breach of both international human rights law and jail regulations.
Solitary confinement for more than 15 days is psychological torture, according to PTI, which cited UN criteria. Imran Khan has reportedly been held in such circumstances for many months, Dawn said.
According to Dawn, the party also claimed that it was intentional cruelty to refuse appropriate medical care to a 72-year-old who had severe medical conditions, including a spine damage and wounds from a prior assassination attempt.
In accordance with court orders, PTI called for the immediate abolition of solitary confinement, detention conditions that respect human dignity and international standards, unrestricted access to personal physicians, and the elimination of barriers to contacts with family members and attorneys.
According to the statement cited by Dawn, “This issue has gone beyond politics and has become a test of Pakistan’s commitment to law, justice, and human rights,” cautioning that continuing such treatment will be seen as state-sponsored violence.
Rana Ihsan Afzal, the assistant to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, denied the UN rapporteur’s conclusions, claiming that Imran Khan is being handled precisely in compliance with the jail manual and prison regulations.
According to Dawn, he said that there were no limitations on his ability to communicate with his kids as long as official requests were made.
In addition to serving a term in the EUR 190 million corruption case, Imran Khan has been in prison since August 2023 and is now awaiting trial under the Anti-Terrorism Act in connection with the May 9, 2023, demonstrations.
Concerns over Imran Khan and his wife’s health have been voiced by PTI on many occasions. Kasim Khan, his son, has previously voiced concerns that officials could be hiding important details regarding his father’s illness.