ISLAMABAD: UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy recently assured a fellow parliamentarian that there have been “no recent indications” from Pakistani authorities that they intend to try former prime minister Imran Khan in a military court, reiterating that he had the right to a fair trial and due process.
Protesters linked to Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party attacked and damaged government and military buildings on May 9, 2023, after his brief arrest that day in a land graft case. Hundreds of PTI followers and leaders were arrested following the riots. The military has also initiated trials of at least 103 people accused of involvement in the violence.
The development raised fears among Khan supporters of his possible trial by a military court, prompting the former prime minister to file a petition in the Islamabad High Court against it. The petition was dismissed by the court in September after the government said it had not decided whether or not it wanted to try the former premier.
Pakistan’s military spokesperson in September hinted at Khan’s possible military trial, saying that though the matter was sub judice, using military personnel for personal or political gains invites legal action.
In response to an Oct. 16 letter penned by Labour legislator Kim Johnson, Lammy assured him that the UK government engages regularly “at a senior level” with Pakistan on the country’s political situation.
“We have no recent indications from the Pakistani authorities that they intend to try Imran Khan in a military court, but my officials continue to monitor the situation closely,” Lammy wrote in a letter to Johnson dated Nov. 11.
The UK official said he has raised concerns about the potential use of military courts to try civilians, including Khan. Lammy added that such courts can lack transparency and independent scrutiny, making it difficult to assess their compliance with international standards.
“While Pakistan’s judicial processes are a domestic matter, we have been very clear that the Pakistani authorities need to act in line with their international obligations and with respect for fundamental freedoms, including the right to a fair trial, due process and humane detention,” he wrote.
“This applies to Imran Khan as it does to all Pakistan’s citizens.”
Lammy said he remains concerned by restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly in Pakistan, including those in relation to political opposition.
“In our engagements with the authorities, we continue to underline that the freedom to hold and express views without censorship, intimidation or unnecessary restriction is a cornerstone of democracy,” he said.
Khan’s close aide, Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari shared Lammy’s letter on social media platform X.
“Respect for free and fair elections, and the rule of law, underpinned by an independent judiciary, are the bedrock of a democracy,” Bukhari wrote. “Pakistanis continue to struggle for theirs.”
Khan, arguably Pakistan’s most popular politician, was ousted from office after a parliamentary no-trust vote in April 2022 and has since waged an unprecedented campaign of defiance against the country’s powerful military and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led government.
Khan’s party says the military and his political rivals rigged the Feb. 8 general election to form the Sharif-led government. Both deny the charge.
No indication from Pakistan on trying Imran Khan in military court — UK foreign secretary
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No indication from Pakistan on trying Imran Khan in military court — UK foreign secretary
- UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy says Khan, like other Pakistani prisoners, has right to fair trial and due process
- Pakistan’s military has initiated trials of at least 103 Khan supporters accused of attacking military installations last year
Pakistan rejects India’s ‘irresponsible assertions’ after FM Jaishankar’s ‘bad neighbors’ remarks
- Indian FM Jaishankar accused Pakistan of fomenting militancy, backed New Delhi’s decision to put Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance
- Islamabad calls the remarks an attempt to deflect attention from India’s ‘troubling record as a neighbor,’ vows to safeguard rights
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday rejected “irresponsible assertions” made by Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar after his remarks about “bad neighbors” and the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) between the two countries.
Jaishankar mentioned about “bad neighbors” at an event in Madras on Friday and said that New Delhi had a right to defend itself. “When you have bad neighbors... if you look to the one to the West, if a country decides that they will deliberately, persistently, unrepentantly continue with terrorism, we have a right to defend our people,” he was quoted as saying by The Hindu newspaper.
The remarks came months after New Delhi blamed Pakistan for a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir and conducted missile strikes inside Pakistan. Islamabad, which denied involvement in the Kashmir attack, responded to the strikes, leading to a four-day military conflict that saw the use of armed drones, fighter jets and artillery between the neighbors in May.
In a statement, Pakistani foreign office spokesman Tahir Andrabi said Islamabad firmly rejects the irresponsible assertions made by the Indian external affairs minister, describing the remarks as an attempt to deflect attention from India’s own “troubling record as a neighbor that promotes terrorism and contributes to regional instability.”
“India’s documented involvement in promoting terrorist activities in the region, particularly in Pakistan, is well known. The case of Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav remains a stark example of organized, state-sponsored terrorism directed against Pakistan,” he said.
“Equally concerning are recurring instances of extraterritorial killings, sabotage through proxies, and covert support to terrorist networks.”
Jadhav, an Indian navy officer who Islamabad said had been working with Indian spy agency, RAW, when Pakistani agencies arrested him in Balochistan in 2016. He was later sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged espionage. India disputes the conviction and has challenged it at the International Court of Justice.
Pakistan and India routinely accuse each other of supporting militant groups waging attacks against the other. The two countries have fought multiple wars, including two of them over the disputed region of Kashmir, since their independence from British rule in 1947. Both rule the region in part but claim it in full.
Jaishankar also spoke on Friday about the IWT that divides control of the Indus basin rivers between the neighbors and ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms. India announced in April, following the Kashmir attack, that it was putting the 1960 World Bank-mediated treaty in abeyance.
“Many years ago, we agreed to a water-sharing arrangement — the belief was it was gesture of goodwill — because of good neighborliness we were doing it … but if you have decades of terrorism, there is no good neighborliness and you don’t get the benefit of good neighborliness,” Jaishankar was quoted as saying.
Pakistan foreign office spokesman Andrabi said the IWT is an international agreement concluded in good faith and at a considerable cost.
“Any unilateral violation of the Treaty by India would undermine regional stability and call into question its credibility as a state that claims to respect international legal obligations,” he said.
“Pakistan will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights under the Treaty.”
