Pakistan’s Khan in jail for 3 years: PTI rallies over ‘arbitrary detention’

What the report says

Thousands of supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rallied across Pakistan on Wednesday as former prime minister Imran Khan marked three years in prison, according to Al Jazeera. The demonstrations came amid heavy security and focused on calls for his release and complaints about what PTI and rights advocates describe as arbitrary detention.

Al Jazeera reported that Khan, 73, has been in custody since August 5, 2023, after earlier being removed from office in 2022. He has since been convicted in several cases, including corruption-related charges, and is serving prison terms that the article says include a 14-year sentence in one case and an additional 17 years imposed in December. Khan has denied wrongdoing and says the cases are politically motivated.

The report said Khan’s family, PTI leaders and Amnesty International have criticized his prison conditions, including prolonged solitary confinement, limited access to lawyers and family, and concerns over medical care. Amnesty said he has not seen family for months and has had no meaningful access to counsel since December. The United Nations has also previously raised concerns about the legality of his detention and the conditions of his confinement, while Pakistan’s government rejects accusations of mistreatment.

The dispute matters because Khan remains one of Pakistan’s most influential opposition figures, and his detention continues to shape tensions between PTI, the military-backed establishment and the courts. Al Jazeera noted that the Supreme Court is hearing a petition over his medical treatment, while officials insist that any relief must come through the legal process.