Imran Khan denied access to legal counsels, his party claims

Lahore, Jan 19 (PTI) Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has been denied access to his legal counsels and kept in solitary confinement for the last three months, his party PTI said on Monday.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also said that the “prolonged solitary confinement” is viewed under international law as harmful and potentially constituting cruel, inhuman.

Khan, 73, has been incarcerated since August 2023, when he was arrested for the first time. Multiple cases have been registered against Khan after his government was toppled in April 2022.

The military backed Shehbaz Sharif government early last month had imposed a complete ban on Khan's all kinds of jail meetings following his statement against Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir.

Khan, after meeting with his sister in jail on December 4, called Munir “a mentally unstable person” in a post on X.

On Monday, the PTI said that “prolonged solitary confinement is viewed under international law as harmful and potentially constituting cruel, inhuman when imposed without clear justification or safeguards, the reason why it’s drawing concern among the supporters and the leadership.” It said the former prime minister has been completely isolated in a cell -- placed in solitary confinement -- for more than three months. “Even the basic necessities guaranteed under the jail manual have been denied to him,” the party said.

The party further said the Form-47 government (a reference to stolen mandate of Khan's party in 2024 polls and installing the PML-N government by the military establishment) has so far been unable to explain the reason why it’s been so long since Khan last met his lawyers, which is a constitutional right of any prisoner, let alone a former prime minister.

After the February 8 general elections in 2024, Khan had called the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as 'mandate thieves' alleging that they stole his party's seats by manipulating results to come to power.

The PTI has earlier launched multiple demonstrations demanding Khan's release and has now already announced a massive protest on February 8 to protest its “stolen mandate” in the general polls two years ago.

The PML-N government initially cited rule violations during visits by his family and leaders, leading to “political discussions and instructions.” Then it extended the ban until February 8, 2026, citing “national security threats.” “We demand immediate access for Imran Khan's lawyers and family members to him in jail,” the PTI said.

In his last tweet, Khan had said: “Asim Munir is a mentally unstable person whose moral degradation has led to the complete collapse of the Constitution and the rule of law in Pakistan, leaving the fundamental human rights of every Pakistani unprotected.” PTI MZ NPK NPK