Former PM Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi allege extreme torture in Pakistan jail

September 19, 2025, Washington, D.C., U.S.A. and Rawalpindi, Pakistan - The international legal team for former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi (also known as Bushra Khan), has filed two urgent appeals with the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Dr. Alice Edwards. The filings request her to investigate their cases and press the Pakistani government to cease any further torture or ill-treatment of Mr. and Mrs. Khan immediately. The international legal team previously secured a judgment from the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) finding Imran Khan's detention arbitrary, in violation of international law, politically motivated, and calling for his immediate release.

Both appeals detail a pattern of severe abuses in detention including prolonged solitary confinement, physical abuse, denial of medical care, contaminated food, and the persistent denial of access to legal counsel and family that together amount to torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. The filings emphasize that these acts violate Pakistan's obligations under the Convention Against Torture (CAT) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and they urge the Special Rapporteur to act swiftly to protect the physical and mental integrity of Mr. and Mrs. Khan.

Imran Khan, Pakistan's most popular political leader, has been imprisoned since 2023 following his removal from office through a no-confidence vote widely seen as backed by the military. He now faces a cumulative 14-year prison sentence on fabricated charges. Despite the UNWGAD's March 2024 finding that his detention was arbitrary and intended to bar him from political life, Mr. Khan remains imprisoned under inhuman conditions. Mr. Khan is currently confined at Adiala Jail in a tiny isolation cell with no natural light, an open toilet under 24-hour CCTV surveillance, and has endured severe sleep deprivation, extreme heat due to power cuts, grossly inadequate food and water, and other harsh conditions. He is also held at times in solitary confinement for 22 hours or more a day with no access to exercise or meaningful human contact.

Mrs. Khan, the former First Lady of Pakistan, has likewise been targeted with politically motivated charges and sentenced to seven years in prison. Since her detention in 2024, she has been subjected to conditions of detention that amount to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, including being served food contaminated with hydrochloric acid, confinement in unsanitary and insect-infested cells, denial of medical care, and long periods of isolation. Her imprisonment is part of a campaign to break both her and her husband, and to apply psychological pressure on Imran Khan by targeting his wife.

"Neither Imran Khan nor Bushra Khan should be in prison in the first place, let alone be subjected to torture and ill treatment," said Jared Genser, international counsel to the Khans. "This combination of illegal detention and horrific mistreatment is intolerable under international law, and the United Nations and governments worldwide must act now to protect their rights and secure their release."

Imran Khan has received international recognition for the abuses he is facing while imprisoned. Notably, Amnesty International has warned of health risks given Mr. Khan's age and conditions, and the U.S. State Department has publicly stressed the importance of ensuring his safety in custody.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture reports to the UN Human Rights Council and has the authority to intervene when credible allegations of torture are presented. The mandate includes communicating with governments to demand they respect the right to physical and mental integrity of detainees, conducting fact-finding visits, and submitting reports to both the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly.

"The United Nations has already found Imran Khan's detention to be arbitrary, and Mrs. Khan's imprisonment rests on equally spurious charges," said Jacob Bogart, international counsel to the Khans. "Their continued solitary confinement, denial of adequate medical care, and exposure to contaminated food all violate Pakistan's binding obligations under international law. The Government of Pakistan should take immediate steps to release Mr. and Mrs. Khan and improve the conditions of detention for all those still detained."

The continued arbitrary detention of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi threatens to deepen social and political divisions at a time when Pakistan faces a myriad internal and external challenges. Their release is imperative - not only because of the grave injustices they face, but for the sake of Pakistan's stability and democratic progress. The UN should not turn away from this case and should instead stand with Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi and democracy in Pakistan.

"In filing this urgent appeal, we are making clear that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi are not forgotten," said Zulfi Bukhari, Advisor to Imran Khan on International Affairs & International Media. "They are enduring unlawful imprisonment and degrading treatment, but they remain symbols of courage and peaceful resistance. The world must not look away silence only emboldens those who seek to crush democracy in Pakistan."