London: Former British prime minister Boris Johnson has called for the release of jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan, accusing the country’s military establishment of keeping him behind bars to prevent his political return.
In an article for The Daily Mail, Johnson also urged the British government to intervene. Raising concerns over Khan’s health and conditions in prison, he said that the 73-year-old was being subjected to prolonged isolation, denied adequate exercise and access to reading material for extended periods, and kept in a small cell with no window.
Khan had also suffered serious deterioration in the vision in his right eye following what he described as delayed and inadequate medical treatment, the former British PM said.
The former Pakistan prime minister has been in prison since August 2023 and is currently serving a sentence in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, a conviction he has challenged. His party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has repeatedly alleged that the cases against him are politically motivated.
Referring to the Al-Qadir case, Johnson said that even if Khan had a case to answer, it did not justify the conditions in which he was being held, as reported by News18.
“Above all, he deserves to have his appeal heard speedily and by an independent court,” Johnson wrote, alleging that the legal cases Khan has faced since leaving office were driven by an attempt by Pakistan’s military establishment to remove him from political life.
Linking the Pakistani politician’s imprisonment to his confrontation with Pakistan’s military leadership while in office, the former British PM argued that Khan had attempted to exercise his authority as an elected leader, including over the appointment of the army chief.
“Imran Khan tried to change the way Pakistan works, and paid a price. That is essentially why he is in jail,” Johnson wrote.
He accused Pakistan’s military leadership of fearing the political consequences of releasing Khan because of the former cricketer’s continuing popularity. He remains one of Pakistan’s most prominent political figures and led the country to its first Cricket World Cup title in 1992 before entering politics and eventually serving as prime minister from 2018 to 2022.
Pakistan’s generals feared that Khan could return to electoral politics if released, Johnson claimed, criticising the authorities for not granting visas to his sons, Sulaiman and Kasim to visit their father in jail.
The former PM also turned his criticism towards the British government, arguing that London had failed to speak forcefully enough about Khan’s imprisonment despite Britain’s longstanding ties with Pakistan.
He also pointed to Khan’s connections with Britain, including his education at Royal Grammar School Worcester and Oxford University, as well as his years playing county cricket for Worcestershire and Surrey. His two sons are British passport holders.
“After three years of watching Imran in torment, it is time for us to stop pussy-footing around, use our leverage and call for his release,” Johnson wrote.
Speaking about Pakistan’s military chief, Asim Munir, he said that he had “nothing to fear from a 73-year-old man in poor health”.
Khan could, if necessary, be placed under house arrest while his appeal is pending rather than remain in prison, he said.
Concerns over Khan’s health and access to medical treatment have also reached Pakistan’s Supreme Court. Last month, the court ordered that Khan be given access to a medical panel that included his personal doctor. He was subsequently moved from prison for a hospital examination before being returned to jail.
His party, however, challenged the handling of the hospital transfer and accused authorities of failing to comply fully with the court’s directions.
The UN Special Rapporteur on torture had earlier raised concerns with the Pakistani government over allegations that Khan was being held for lengthy periods in solitary confinement and in conditions falling below international standards for humane treatment.
Johnson ended his intervention with a direct demand for Khan’s release. “Unlock that cell – and free Imran Khan,” he wrote.