Amnesty urges Pakistan to free Imran Khan

Amnesty International has called on the Pakistani government to release former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-

Amnesty International has called on the Pakistani government to release former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan as he completes three years in prison, urging authorities to restore his fundamental rights and ensure access to medical care, family members and legal counsel.

In a statement issued ahead of the third anniversary of his imprisonment, Amnesty International’s South Asia office expressed concern over Imran Khan’s detention conditions, alleging that he has been denied a fair trial, kept in prolonged solitary confinement and restricted from meeting his relatives and lawyers.

The organisation claimed that Imran has not been allowed to meet members of his family for several months and raised concerns over reports that his eyesight has worsened while in custody. It also said that both Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, have faced prolonged restrictions on access to legal representatives.

Amnesty urged the authorities to immediately restore the couple’s right to meet their lawyers and family members, provide appropriate medical treatment and end what it described as unlawful solitary confinement.

The rights organisation also called on the government to ensure that planned public gatherings marking Imran Khan’s three years in detention are allowed to proceed peacefully. It stressed that citizens should be able to exercise their right to peaceful assembly without facing arbitrary restrictions or crackdowns.

The appeal comes days after a United Nations special rapporteur also expressed concern over reports regarding Imran Khan’s health and urged authorities to provide him with humane treatment, proper medical care and access to doctors of his choice.

Imran Khan has remained in Adiala Jail since August 2023. He is serving sentences in multiple cases, including the £190 million corruption case and the Toshakhana-II case, while also facing several other legal proceedings linked to the May 9, 2023 protests.

PTI has repeatedly alleged that its founder is being denied adequate medical treatment, particularly for an eye condition, and has appealed to international human rights organisations to intervene. The party maintains that his constitutional rights and due process protections have been violated during his incarceration.

The government has previously rejected allegations of mistreatment, maintaining that legal proceedings against Imran Khan are being conducted in accordance with the law.