Islamabad (Web Desk): Federal Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, while rebuffing the recommendations of the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Tuesday, said that the arrest of Pakistan Tehrek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) founder and pending cases against him are an internal matter of Pakistan.
"Pakistan is a sovereign state and its court enforced its Constitution and laws, and took decisions accordingly," he said.
Responding to the report of the UNHR body, the minister said that the PTI founder is in the jail as a convicted prisoner. He enjoys all rights as per the Constitution of Pakistan and laws and international norms.
Tarar said that the relief given to the PTI founder by the courts in many cases manifests a transparent and fair trial of his cases by the judiciary.
“It is biased and unfair to make demands beyond the ambit of Constitution, law and international norms,” the law minister added.
Earlier on Monday, UN human rights working group said that the PTI founder’s detention is arbitrary and in violation of international law and urged the immediate release of the jailed politician.
According to foreign media, the Geneva-based UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said that the "appropriate remedy would be to release Mr Khan immediately and accord him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law."
The UN working group said Khan's legal woes were part of a "much larger campaign of repression" against him and his PTI party. It said that in the lead up to the 2024 elections, members of Khan's party were arrested and tortured and their rallies were disrupted.
It also alleged "widespread fraud on election day, stealing dozens of parliamentary seats."
The PTI founder has been in jail since August 2023, and was convicted in some cases ahead of a nationwide election earlier this year. He is also fighting dozens of other cases which are continuing.
On August 5 last year, a trial court in Islamabad had convicted Khan in a Toshakhana case filed by the ECP and handed him three-year imprisonment. The conviction had him disqualified for five years by the ECP later, but the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended the sentence.
Imran Khan and his party claim that the charges against him were "politically motivated" to thwart his return to power in this year's elections.
He alleged the US played a role in his ousting by colluding with his political rivals. Both deny the accusations.