Islamabad: Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has responded to a UN report calling the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan unjust and a violation of international law, calling the arrest and proceedings an “internal matter”. “.
“PTI founders have all rights under the country’s constitution, laws and international standards,” the law minister said in a statement on Tuesday.
Since stepping down as prime minister, Imran has faced numerous allegations ranging from corruption to terrorism.
The PTI founder has been in jail since last August and has been convicted in several cases before the general elections earlier this year. He also struggled with dozens of other cases.
Tarar said that the former prime minister was jailed as a prisoner of war and said that as an independent country, the existing constitution and laws are enforced by the courts in Pakistan.
The minister further said that the relief given to PTI founders is a reflection of transparent and fair judiciary.
“Any demand outside the Constitution, laws and international principles will be called discrimination, partiality and injustice,” said Tarar.
On Monday, the Geneva-based UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said the detained politician “must be released immediately”.
“The appropriate course of action is to immediately release Mr. Han and give him the right to compensation and other reparations under international law,” the group said.
He added that the legal challenge to the former prime minister was part of a “larger campaign of repression” against him and his party.
Following the UN report, the US State Department asked Pakistan to respect basic human rights.
Deputy Chief Press Secretary Vedant Patel said US officials have consistently and openly called on Pakistan to respect the rights of its people in accordance with its constitutional and international obligations.
