• Source:JND
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Pakistan Imran Khan torture: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi’s legal team have filed urgent appeals with the United Nations, alleging severe mistreatment in Pakistani prisons. The appeals were submitted to UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Dr. Alice J. Edwards by Imran Khan’s sons, Sulaiman and Kasim, and Bushra Bibi’s sister, PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari confirmed on X.

Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi Face Politically Motivated Charges

Imran Khan has been in jail since August 2023 in a 190 million pounds corruption case and faces terrorism-related charges over the May 9, 2023, protests. Bushra Bibi was sentenced earlier this year to seven years in prison. Lawyers representing the couple say both cases are politically motivated. The US-based law firm Perseus Strategies, representing the couple, said the appeals ask the UN to investigate their cases and compel Pakistani authorities to “cease any further torture or ill-treatment of Mr and Mrs Khan immediately.”

Alleged Torture and Inhumane Conditions

The legal filings detail several abuses faced by the couple, including:

•Confined in a tiny isolation cell with no natural light

•Open toilet under 24-hour CCTV surveillance

•Severe sleep deprivation

•Exposure to extreme heat due to power cuts

•Grossly inadequate food and water

•Solitary confinement for 22 hours or more at times

•No access to meaningful human contact, exercise, or recreation

•Food allegedly contaminated with hydrochloric acid

•Held in unsanitary, insect-infested cells

•Denied adequate medical care

International Law Violations

The appeals argue that these conditions violate Pakistan’s obligations under the UN Convention Against Torture (CAT) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The filings also cite a UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruling that described Imran Khan’s imprisonment as arbitrary, politically motivated, and in violation of international law.

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Jared Genser, international counsel to the couple, said, “Neither of them should be in prison in the first place, let alone be subjected to torture and ill-treatment.” Amnesty International has raised alarms about Khan’s health, while the US State Department has stressed the importance of safeguarding his safety in custody.

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Kasim Khan posted on X, “My father is in prison because he stood up for democracy. He is held in solitary confinement, denied access to his doctors, and restricted from meeting his lawyers and family. Thousands of supporters have been abducted or dragged before military courts. This is not justice; it is political revenge. Pakistan’s democracy is at stake.” Zulfi Bukhari added that the UN should not ignore the case, highlighting the couple as “symbols of courage and peaceful resistance.” The legal team emphasized that urgent intervention is needed to protect their rights and ensure Pakistan’s democratic stability.