UN chief calls for positive change in Imran’s situation

UN Urges Positive Change in Imran Khan's Detention, Pakistan Defends Legal Process

The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, through his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, has expressed hope for a positive change in the situation of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently imprisoned. This statement was made in response to a question during a daily press briefing, where the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) had recommended Khan’s immediate release, citing that his detention was arbitrary and against international law.

Imran Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, has been in jail since August and was convicted on charges that his party claims were politically motivated to prevent his return to power ahead of the national elections in February. The UNWGAD argued that Khan’s imprisonment is part of a broader campaign of repression against him and his party, alleging election fraud and mistreatment of PTI members.

However, Pakistan’s Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar dismissed the UN report, asserting that Khan’s arrest is an internal matter and that he has been afforded all rights according to Pakistan’s Constitution and laws. Tarar emphasized that Khan is a convicted prisoner, and Pakistan, as an independent state, enforces its Constitution and laws through its courts.