Lord Zac Goldsmith, the former brother-in-law of Imran Khan, has sent a letter to Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey urging her to intervene on the former prime minister’s behalf over his treatment during his imprisonment in Pakistan.
In the letter, dated Aug 22, Goldsmith sought direct intervention from the Commonwealth to protect Khan’s rights.
Khan has faced numerous legal challenges and political cases since he was ousted from power in a no-confidence vote in April 2022. He is currently imprisoned in Pakistan’s Adiali Jail.
A number of international human rights organisations have expressed concerns about the trials against him.
Goldsmith, the brother of Khan’s ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith, wrote that he had repeatedly brought up his case with the UK government and others and had hoped that sustained diplomatic engagement and Pakistan’s judiciary would ensure Khan’s basic rights were respected.
“I no longer believe that approach is sufficient,” he wrote.
“I am therefore appealing directly to you because this now raises fundamental questions about the values to which every Commonwealth member state has committed itself: democracy, human rights, the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and the humane treatment of those in detention.”
Goldsmith went on to detail his account about what transpired in the days leading up to the letter.
He said on Aug 18, the Supreme Court of Pakistan had ordered Khan to be transferred from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for proper medical assessment and treatment. This included instructions for evaluation by an independent medical panel, the availability of complete medical records, and provision of fundamental rights like adequate medical care and contact with his family.
However, instead of following these instructions, Khan was taken to the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on Aug 20-21, summarily examined and treated during the night, pronounced “medically fit”, and returned to Adiala Jail before dawn, Goldsmith said.
“Khan’s doctor never saw him, no independent medical panel was set up, and no medical records were sent to the Supreme Court. A decoy convoy was reportedly even sent from the jail to Shifa, creating the appearance that Khan had been moved there,” he wrote.
“Whatever explanation the Pakistani Government offers for this extraordinary sequence of events, it is impossible to reconcile it with the clear intention of the Supreme Court’s order.”
Goldsmith also cited an account by Khan’s sister, Dr Uzma Khan, on his condition.
Uzma said she saw her brother when he was transferred to PIMS, but it was the first time she was able to meet him in 10 months. Khan reportedly told her that his prolonged isolation and treatment in prison was “torture”, stating the lack of regular human contact was taking a toll on him, both psychologically and physically.
“I do not present that comparison as a medical conclusion. But when a former Prime Minister tells his sister, after months in isolation, that he fears the consequences of his detention in those terms, it cannot simply be ignored,” Goldsmith wrote.
He also said that a doctor had informed Uzma that Khan’s deteriorating condition was linked to the lack of regular human interaction and her brother was suffering from severe anxiety.
Goldsmith argued this was a “deeply troubling” account of the treatment of a prisoner and follows a larger pattern of depriving Khan of access to his family, lawyers, and doctors.
“The issue has therefore moved beyond arguments about what virtually all of Imran’s friends, colleagues, associates and supporters believe to be vexatious and politically motivated criminal proceedings against him. There is now a much more fundamental question about whether a former elected Prime Minister of a Commonwealth country is being afforded due process, humane treatment and the protection of his country’s own independent judiciary,” he wrote.
“That must surely be a matter of concern to the Commonwealth.”
Goldsmith urged the secretary-general to raise the matter of Khan’s treatment with the highest levels of the Pakistan government and seek assurances that the Pakistan Supreme Court’s directives will be implemented fully, that he will be given access to his own trusted doctors and independent specialists, that full medical information will be made available to the appropriate doctors, that his prolonged isolation will end, that he be allowed regular and meaningful contact with his family, that he will have unrestricted access to his legal representatives, and that all criminal proceedings against him meet standards of independence, transparency, and due process.
“When the highest court in a Commonwealth member state has felt it necessary to intervene to protect the health and basic rights of a former Prime Minister, and its directions can apparently be frustrated within a matter of hours, passive expressions of concern are no longer enough,” he wrote
“I therefore urge you to use the authority of your office and the Commonwealth’s diplomatic weight to make clear, publicly as well as privately, that Imran Khan must be treated fairly and humanely, that the decisions of Pakistan’s independent courts must be respected, and that his health and fundamental rights are protected.”
Botchwey responded to the letter on Wednesday, stating that the Commonwealth Secretariat takes all reports and correspondence on the matter seriously and noted Goldsmith’s concerns.
“Please be assured that the Commonwealth Secretariat remains committed to working with all member countries in support of the principles and values set out in the Commonwealth Charter. In this regard, we continue to engage constructively with Pakistan, as we do with all Commonwealth member states, in promoting and upholding our shared commitments,” she said.
“Please accept the assurances of my highest consideration.”
