United Nations (UN) Special Envoy on Torture, Alice Jill Edwards, has demanded the Pakistan government to immediately end the solitary confinement and inhumane detention conditions of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Posting on X, he warned that these conditions could amount to torture or inhuman treatment. This statement was issued on 12 December 2025.

Imran Khan in solitary confinement for 2 years

Imran Khan is lodged in Adiala Jail of Rawalpindi since 26 September 2023. He is being kept in solitary confinement for a long time. They remain locked in a small room for 23 hours every day. Contact with the outside world is very limited. The cell is under constant camera surveillance. There is a lack of natural light and air. The temperature becomes very bad in summer and winter. There is bad smell and insects due to lack of air. Due to this, Imran has complained of vomiting, nausea and weight loss. No permission to roam outside. There is no permission to meet other prisoners or participate in collective prayers. Meetings between lawyers and family are repeatedly interrupted or ended early.

What is the legal aspect of UN experts?

• Prolonged or indefinite solitary confinement is prohibited under international human rights law.
• If solitary confinement lasts more than 15 days, it is considered psychological torture.
• The expert said, ‘Imran Khan’s solitary confinement should be ended immediately. This is illegal and can cause serious harm to physical and mental health.
• Every person in prison should receive humane and respectful treatment.
• Pakistan has been asked to completely follow international standards.

What will be the further action?

UN expert has raised the issue of Imran Khan with the Pakistan government. She will keep an eye on the situation and follow up further. Alice Jill Edwards is an independent expert appointed to the UN Human Rights Council. This statement increases international pressure on the detention of Imran Khan. However, the Pakistan government has not yet given any official reply.

Serving sentence in Pakistan’s Adiala jail since 2023

Imran Khan was convicted in several corruption cases mainly…

• The biggest punishment was given in January 2025 in the Al-Qadir Trust case, where he was accused of taking land as bribe from a real estate developer while he was the Prime Minister.
• Apart from this, there were also convictions on charges of illegal selling of government gifts in the Toshakhana case, leaking of state confidential documents in the Cipher case and illegal marriage in the Iddat case.
• Imran and his party PTI call all these matters a political conspiracy, the aim of which is to keep them away from power.
• He remains in jail because of these convictions until December 2025, although some of his old convictions have been suspended on appeal.

Imran Khan Pakistan: A Pakistan court on Tuesday dismissed the petitions requesting bail after the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in eight terrorism cases related to the riots of May 9.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has several cases registered in Lahore in connection with the violence of May 9, 2023, including allegations of abusing their supporters to attack government and military buildings. The violence erupted after Imran’s arrest by paramilitary Rangers from Islamabad High Court premises.

A court official told the news agency PTI, “The Lahore High Court (LHC) has dismissed all the bail petitions filed by Imran Khan in relation to eight cases related to the cases of May 9, 2023, including attacks and arson incidents on Jinnah House/Lahore Core Commander House.”

Eight cases against Imran Khan

A two-member bench of LHC headed by Justice Shahbaz Rizvi ruled on the bail petitions filed by Khan in eight cases.

The bench reserved its decision on Monday after completing the hearing. These eight cases include Jinnah House attack, Askari Tower Attack, arson in Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PTI-N) office, setting fire to Shadman police station, burning police vehicles near Jinnah House and arson on Sherpao police.

Imran Khan will file a petition in Supreme Court

The anti-terrorism court of Lahore had earlier rejected Khan’s bail plea in these cases, after which he challenged the decision in LHC. A lawyer of Khan said that he would challenge the decision of the Lahore High Court in the Supreme Court. Khan has been in jail for almost two years in many cases.

Apart from this, his party alleged on Tuesday that Khan has been kept in solitude imprisonment and his cell had been cut off. Senior PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari said in a post on ‘X’, “Imran Khan has been isolated, he is not being given basic facilities which he is legally entitled.”