The family of Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister, Imran Khan, has called on King Charles, as head of the Commonwealth, to speak out about Khan’s solitary confinement, raising concerns about his health and human rights. Aleema Khanum, Khan’s sister, highlighted nearly a month of restrictions preventing family and lawyers from visiting him at Adiala jail in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
Aleema Khanum said Pakistan, as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, is failing to uphold its charter’s principles of rule of law, democracy, and human rights. “Member states, especially where King Charles is the head of the Commonwealth organisation, don’t speak out against fascism or military dictatorship? What is the point of just organisations then?” she asked, emphasizing the international dimension of Khan’s plight.
Imran Khan, 73, a former cricket captain turned politician, has been held in the high-security prison since August 2023, serving a 14-year sentence for corruption. Khan has denied the charges, claiming they were fabricated by the military to hinder his political career—a claim the Pakistani military has rejected. He served as prime minister from 2018 until his removal by a parliamentary vote of no-confidence nearly four years later.
Khanum and other relatives said the conditions of his confinement amount to mistreatment and possibly torture. “Our brother’s safety, legal rights and humane treatment in prison are our top concerns,” she said. “After two and a half years in a brutal 8ft x 10ft cell, he now fights for the rule of law, human rights, and free and fair elections. His commitment to democracy remains steadfast.”
Supporters of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party have held protests outside the jail, and a PTI delegation was denied access to visit him last week. The family said Khan has been kept in solitary confinement under severe conditions, with no communication for weeks. Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, PTI spokesman, said the public is demanding answers, citing the hashtag #WHEREISIMRANKHAN trending on X. “The regime’s fear is obvious,” Bukhari said. “Any statement from him has led to 24-hour lockup for over a month.”
The Pakistani government has countered these claims, insisting Khan is in good health and alleging that PTI is leveraging his situation as a political maneuver. Talal Chaudhry, the interior minister, said, “Claims of his illness or even worse have circulated, but these are merely political stunts. Khan is actually in good health. I urge PTI supporters to focus on praying for him instead of spreading false rumours.”
Khan’s arrest in May 2023 sparked nationwide protests against the military, resulting in a crackdown on his party. Despite PTI becoming the largest party in the 2024 elections, Khan has alleged that electoral rigging and military collusion prevented his party from gaining sufficient seats, enabling a coalition government under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Both Sharif and his allies have denied these allegations.
The family’s appeal to King Charles underscores growing international concern over Khan’s treatment and the broader state of democracy and human rights in Pakistan.
