British MPs question Pakistani justice system after Imran Khan's conviction

Two British MPs from the Labor and Conservative parties have raised concerns about Pakistan's justice system following Friday's sentencing of former Prime Minister Imran Khan to 14 years in prison for corruption.

Khan was convicted by a Rawalpindi court in a case alleging he laundered more than $300 million in a deal to set up a non-profit educational institute with his wife, Bushra Bibi, who was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Reacting to the conviction, Khan said on

“I will never accept this dictatorship and I am ready to stay in prison as long as it takes in the fight against this tyranny.”

Human rights organizations say the charges against Khan are politically motivated.

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Lord Daniel Hannan, a former member of the European Parliament and a Conservative peer in the House of Lords of the British Parliament, told Middle East Eye that he feared that Pakistan's courts were “becoming instruments of the people in power.”

“The rule of law no longer applies,” he said.

Labor MP Kim Johnson told MEE that the conviction of Khan and his wife “raises serious concerns about the state of democracy and judicial independence in Pakistan”.

“It should be noted that he was acquitted or had his previous sentences suspended in most cases, which raises further questions about the consistency of the legal process,” she added.

Khan, widely recognized as the country's most popular politician, spent more than a year in prison. A recent UN report concluded that his detention was arbitrary and contrary to international law.

“Justice must be considered fair”

Hannan warned that Pakistan “will not recover, politically or economically, until Imran Khan is released, civil law is restored and free elections are scheduled.”

Johnson added: “Justice must be seen as fair, impartial and free from political influence.

“I call on the Foreign Minister to engage with his counterparts in Pakistan, raising these concerns and urging respect for democratic principles and the rule of law.”

This is not the first time that British politicians have questioned the impartiality of Pakistan's justice system.

Trump's new envoy raises hopes of a 'free Imran Khan'

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The British Labor government, along with the US government, expressed “deep concern” in December after Pakistani military courts convicted 25 civilian supporters of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party for their involvement in violent demonstrations against the government.

The same month, several PTI leaders told MEE that Khan's expected potential support from the new Trump administration was putting pressure on the Pakistani government and military to “start a meaningful dialogue” with the party. .

Richard Grenell, Trump's envoy for special missions, caused a stir in Pakistan by criticizing the government's treatment of Khan, who was ousted in April 2022 in a parliamentary vote of no confidence following a fallout with the influential army of the country.

On November 26, Grenell posted “Release Imran Khan” on X in response to a violent crackdown on PTI supporters in Islamabad. He has since reiterated this call.

However, Khan's conviction is another blow to the politician and his movement.

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