Imran Khan with his former brother-in-law Zac Goldsmith outside Kingston mosque, London, in 2009. PHOTO: Newsquest SL
Zac Goldsmith, a former UK Foreign Office minister and former brother-in-law of PTI founder Imran Khan, has raised concerns in the UK parliament over Khan’s treatment in prison, urging the British government to ensure he receives fair treatment amid reports of deteriorating health.
Speaking during a motion laid out by Baroness Alexander of Cleveden of the Labour Party, Goldsmith said that while Khan’s case was an internal matter for Pakistan, the denial of basic human rights could not be ignored.
The motion highlighted that the right to medical treatment and a fair trial were fundamental and must be upheld.
Goldsmith said, “We understand that Imran Khan has been denied access to lawyers. He’s been denied access to his family, including his two sons, my nephews, ” and that, “he has been denied access even to doctors. We understand that he has spent much of his time in prison, in solitary confinement, and that his health is deteriorating rapidly.”
He also raised the possibility of reviewing UK aid to Pakistan.
“Pakistan is often at the top of the list of UK aid until that country’s government demonstrates a clear and unambiguous commitment to the Commonwealth Charter that it signed up to, which commits it to an independent judiciary and the rule of law,” he said.
Khan has been in custody since August 2023 and is serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case. He also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act in connection with the May 9, 2023 protests.
A day earlier, Khan’s sister Aleema Khan criticised the PTI leadership for what she described as inaction over her brother’s release and health.
“The party seems relaxed, as if the founder’s treatment has already been completed. We are not seeing any action from PTI on his health matters. Enough is enough – anyone who cannot carry the weight of the founder’s narrative should step aside,” she said while speaking to reporters outside the Islamabad High Court.
