Zac Goldsmith urges UK to press Pakistan over Imran Khan’s prison treatment

Zac Goldsmith, a former Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom and former brother-in-law of PTI founder Imran Khan, has raised concerns in the British Parliament about Khan’s treatment in prison and called on the British government to ensure he receives fair treatment amid reports of deteriorating health.

Speaking during a motion moved by Baroness Alexander of Cleveden of the Labor 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 emphasized that the right to medical treatment and a fair trial was fundamental and must be upheld.

Goldsmith said: “We understand that Imran Khan has been denied access to lawyers. He has 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 rapidly deteriorating.”

He also raised the possibility of reviewing Britain’s aid to Pakistan.

“Pakistan is often at the top of the list for UK aid until its government demonstrates a clear and unequivocal commitment to the Commonwealth Charter, which it signed, 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 in Adiala prison in a £190m corruption case. He also faces pending charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act in connection with the May 9, 2023 protests.

A day earlier, Khan’s sister Aleema Khan slammed 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 is already over. We don’t see any action from the PTI on his health issue. Enough is enough – anyone who cannot bear the weight of the founder’s narrative should step aside,” she said while speaking to reporters outside the Islamabad High Court.