Islamabad, July 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A United Nations expert has urged Pakistan to allow former Prime Minister Imran Khan access to medical examination and treatment of his choice, expressing concern over his detention conditions and reports that he is not receiving adequate healthcare.
Alice Jill Edwards, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, said reports indicate that Khan has been held in near-total solitary confinement for 33 months in a small, windowless cell under constant CCTV surveillance.
In a post shared on LinkedIn, Edwards stated that Khan has at times been denied exercise and meaningful human contact for more than two weeks at a stretch, adding that such conditions exceed the standards set out under the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, commonly known as the Mandela Rules.
She also voiced concern over reports that Khan has been denied appropriate medical care despite allegedly suffering from serious health issues, including complications related to a spinal injury sustained in a 2013 accident and bullet wounds from an assassination attempt in November 2022.
Edwards called on the Pakistani authorities to restore humane detention conditions and ensure that Khan is allowed access to independent medical examination and appropriate treatment.
In a separate post on X, the UN expert also expressed concern over the detention conditions of Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi. She cited reports of prolonged solitary confinement, denial of independent medical care, deterioration in health and vision loss requiring retinal surgery.
Edwards urged Pakistan to conduct a prompt and independent investigation into the allegations and to provide Bushra Bibi with appropriate medical treatment in accordance with international law.
Imran Khan has remained in prison since August 2023 following convictions that his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has described as politically motivated. Since his removal from office through a no-confidence vote in 2022, he has faced multiple legal cases, including those related to state gifts and an unlawful marriage.
Meanwhile, PTI has announced plans to launch a nationwide campaign from August 5 seeking Khan’s release and pressing other political demands. According to local media reports, the decision was taken during a meeting of the party’s parliamentary committee chaired by interim chairman Gohar Ali Khan.
PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja said the campaign would include public meetings, demonstrations and a long march.
FOLLOW NOW
