ISLAMABAD — In a significant escalation of international advocacy, two formal appeals have been lodged with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Dr. Alice Jill Edwards, seeking urgent intervention in the cases of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi.
The appeals were submitted by Khan’s sons, Sulaiman Khan and Qasim Khan, on behalf of their father, and by Maryam Wattoo on behalf of her sister, Bushra Bibi. The petitions allege that both have been subjected to arbitrary detention and inhumane treatment, in violation of international human rights standards.
Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, a close aide to Khan, announced the development on social media, stating:
“We will never stop raising our voices on every platform against their arbitrary detention and inhumane treatment. For the first time in Pakistan’s history, the wife of a political prisoner is also being incarcerated, solely to break his resolve. The nation stands firmly with Imran Khan, and we will never give up.”
The appeals call on the UN to investigate the conditions of their detention, which supporters claim are politically motivated and aimed at silencing dissent. Rights groups have previously expressed concern over the treatment of political prisoners in Pakistan, warning of the erosion of democratic freedoms.
The move adds to mounting international pressure on Islamabad, as legal teams and human rights advocates intensify efforts to secure the release of the former premier and his wife.