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The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has declared that former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been unlawfully imprisoned and should be released immediately. The group stated that Khan’s detention had no legal basis and was intended to prevent him from running for political office. Khan, who was removed from his position in April 2022, has faced over 200 legal cases and has been imprisoned since August last year. He has described these cases as politically motivated and orchestrated by his adversaries to prevent him from returning to power.
Despite having some of his prison sentences suspended or overturned, Khan remains in jail over a ruling that deemed his marriage illegal under Islamic law. Analysts believe that the powerful Pakistani military, which has a history of interference in politics, is behind the legal challenges faced by Khan.
Khan’s arrest in May 2023 led to nationwide protests and a crackdown on his political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Despite securing the most seats in the elections, the party was unable to form a government due to a coalition of parties aligned with the military.
The lower house of parliament in Pakistan recently condemned a US congressional resolution calling for an independent investigation into alleged election rigging in Pakistan. While the government expressed anger over the resolution, Khan’s party welcomed it, claiming that their victory was turned into a defeat by the country’s election commission. The situation surrounding Khan’s imprisonment and the political landscape in Pakistan continues to be tense and contentious.
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Photo credit www.aljazeera.com
