Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazir Tarar said: The government on Tuesday rejected the recommendation of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) for the release of the country’s former prime minister, Imran Khan.
In response to the report released by the WGAD, Talal said in a statement to state broadcaster PTV: Arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader “The pending case against him is an internal matter of Pakistan. Tarar further said Pakistan’s courts follow the constitution and existing laws, and reiterated that Khan remains in jail as a convicted prisoner.”
The statement came in response to global criticism of Khan’s imprisonment. The WGAD called for his immediate release, calling his arrest arbitrary and in violation of international law. In response to the recommendation, Talal said Khan has all his rights guaranteed by the country’s constitution, laws and international norms, and further asserted that any demands that go beyond these rules would be considered discriminatory, prejudiced and unjust.
The WGAD, which is tasked with investigating cases of governments depriving citizens of their liberty, declared the charges against Khan “without legal basis” and politically motivated to remove him from politics, and argued that the appropriate response would be to release Khan and provide compensation.
Khan has been incarcerated since August 2023 and was convicted in several cases ahead of Pakistan’s general elections scheduled for February 2024. A Pakistani court has suspended two of Khan’s prison sentences, but the former prime minister remains incarcerated on a separate illegal marriage conviction.
