Today: 29 August 2025
8 August 2023
2 mins read

UN appeals for legal integrity in Imran’s trial

Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party, was arrested in Lahore on Saturday after a court found him guilty of selling state gifts illegally and sentenced him to three years in prison…reports Asian Lite News

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urges the Pakistan government to “respect due process” in the case against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and calls on all parties to avoid violence, his spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Monday.

Haq said: “The Secretary General urges the authorities to respect due process and the rule of law in the proceedings brought against the former prime minister”.

Guterres has “taken note of the ongoing protests that have erupted on the rest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad, and he calls for all parties to refrain from violence”, Haq said.

“He stresses the need to respect the right to peaceful assembly,” the spokesperson added.

Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party, was arrested in Lahore on Saturday after a court found him guilty of selling state gifts illegally and sentenced him to three years in prison.

Khan’s conviction bars him from contesting the upcoming National Assembly election due within months. He and his party have called for peaceful protests but the response has been feeble and the expected mass demonstrations have not materialised so far unlike in May when he was arrested on corruption charges.

At that time, massive protests erupted in several places in Pakistan with death and injuries reported from clashes between his supporters and security forces. He was released soon after on the orders of the Supreme Court only to be rearrested after his conviction in a different case.

The multi-millionaire former cricket star was transferred to a prison in Attock, 80 kilometres from the capital Islamabad, where his party says he is treated as a common “C-Class” prisoner with few amenities in a cramped cell.

Khan was Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022 when he was ousted by a non-confidence motion and was succeeded by Shehbaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, who heads the Pakistan Democracy Movement coalition.

Pakistan Assembly’s term ends next Saturday but there is uncertainty about when the nation would go to the polls. According to media reports, Sharif may dissolve the National Assembly before Saturday and hand over power to a caretaker government. That would allow a 90-interval for the elections instead of the 60 days if the Assembly ran its course till the five-year term’s end.

But Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, according to TV, has raised the possibility of even more delays because a new census would be taken and constituencies written on that basis.

ALSO READ-7 killed in Roadside blast in Pakistan

Previous Story

UK government launches taskforce to combat immigration fraud

Next Story

Pak Army bites the bullet, docks Imran Khan

Latest from -Top News

Pontiff pleads as Gaza burns

Pope Leo XIV’s plea for a permanent Gaza ceasefire, protection of civilians, and release of hostages adds urgency as Israel readies new assault on famine-stricken territory. Pope Leo XIV has issued one

ADNOC signs 15-year LNG deal with Indian Oil

Under the deal, LNG cargoes can be delivered to any port across India, enhancing the country’s energy security and meeting its rising energy demand. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has signed

Dubai’s $1m AI film prize shocker

Dubai to Host 4th 1 Billion Followers Summit with $1 Million AI Film Prize and Expanded Global Agenda Dubai will host the fourth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, the world’s

UN hears Gaza distress call – Can they act?

The United Nations Security Council will hold its monthly open session on Wednesday to discuss the worsening situation in the Middle East, with the ongoing conflict in Gaza expected to dominate proceedings.
Go toTop

Don't Miss

UN Envoy Urges Urgent De-escalation in Syria

These strikes have coincided with reports of rocket and missile

Indian envoy to UN co-hosts special event on 2030 agenda

The event held on June 23 – Accelerating Citizen-Centric Energy