UN Calls for Immediate Release of Imran Khan, Citing International Law Violations – 2024!

Key Decision by the UN

• UN Ruling: The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared that the detention of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is against international law.
• Immediate Release: The UN group demands that Khan be released immediately and compensated according to international law.

Allegations of Repression

• Larger Campaign: The UN group suggests that Khan’s legal troubles are part of a broader campaign against him and his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
• Election Disruptions: The group noted that ahead of the 2024 elections:
• PTI members were arrested and tortured.
• Their rallies were disrupted.
• There were claims of widespread election fraud, with many parliamentary seats allegedly stolen.

Pakistan’s Response

• No Comment: The Pakistani embassy in Washington did not comment immediately.
• Election Commission’s Stance: Pakistan’s election commission denies any election rigging.

Imran Khan’s Legal Challenges

• Current Status: Khan has been in jail since August and was convicted in various cases before a national election scheduled for February.
• Political Motivation: Khan and his party claim that these charges are politically motivated to prevent his return to power.
• Suspended Sentences: Recently, Pakistani courts:
• Suspended his jail sentences in cases involving the illegal acquisition and sale of state gifts.
• Overturned his conviction for leaking state secrets.
• Continued Imprisonment: Despite these suspensions, Khan remains in prison due to:
• A conviction over his 2018 marriage was ruled unlawful.
• Ongoing trials under anti-terrorism charges related to violence in May last year.

Background on Imran Khan

• Rise and Fall: Khan became Prime Minister in 2018 but was removed from office in 2022 after disputes with Pakistan’s military.
• Allegations of Conspiracy: He claims that his removal was orchestrated by the US and the Pakistani military through a no-confidence vote in Parliament. Both deny these accusations.
• Legal Cases: After his removal, multiple legal cases were filed against Khan, leading to his disqualification from running in the upcoming election.

Election Outcomes

• PTI’s Success: Despite Khan’s disqualification, candidates supported by him won the most seats in the recent elections.
• Coalition Government: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) formed a coalition government.

International Concerns

• Global Reaction: The US, Britain, and the European Union expressed concerns about:
• Election irregularities.
• Urged investigations into these issues.
• UN Concerns: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also expressed worry about:
• Election-related violence.
• Suspension of mobile communications during the elections.

References

• Reuters: UN Group Calls for Imran Khan’s Release
• Al Jazeera: UN Urges Release of Imran Khan
• BBC: Imran Khan’s Detention and UN’s Response

nmshah.virgo

I am an Post Graduate and a passionate Blogger, who loves to share tips on Blogging, Digital Marketing, Passive Income along-with Finance Tax Budget and ERP and also interested in daily news updates with passion and consistancy.