WASHINGTON: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s detention is arbitrary and in violation of international law, a UN human rights working group said in an opinion issued on Monday, adding the jailed politician should be released immediately.
The Geneva-based U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said that the “appropriate remedy would be to release Mr. Khan immediately and accord him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law.”
The UN working group said Khan’s legal woes were part of a “much larger campaign of repression” against him and his Pakistan Tehree-e-Insaf (PTI) party. It said that in the lead up to the 2024 elections, members of Khan’s party were arrested and tortured and their rallies were disrupted. It also alleged “widespread fraud on election day, stealing dozens of parliamentary seats.”The Pakistani embassy in Washington had no immediate comment. Pakistan’s election commission denies that the elections were rigged.