Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan has entered a fourth year in prison, with his family, political party and Amnesty International calling for his immediate release and the restoration of his legal, medical and visitation rights.
Supporters of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party demonstrated across the country on Wednesday, despite heavy security.
Khan was removed as prime minister in April 2022 after losing a parliamentary vote of no confidence. He alleged that his removal resulted from a military-enabled conspiracy involving the United States, claims rejected by both Washington and Pakistan’s military.
He was first arrested in May 2023 and imprisoned again on 5 August that year. Khan has rejected the charges against him, describing them as politically motivated. He is currently serving a 14-year sentence linked to corruption allegations, while his wife, Bushra Bibi Khan, is serving seven years in the same case.
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Amnesty International said Khan had not seen his family for more than eight months and had been denied regular access to legal counsel since December 2025. The organisation also said his vision had reportedly deteriorated significantly.
“For three years, Pakistan’s authorities have systematically denied Imran Khan the right to a fair trial, subjected him to prolonged solitary confinement, and limited his access to medical care and visitation rights,” Isabelle Lassee, Amnesty’s acting regional director for South Asia, said.
Amnesty called on Pakistani authorities to “unconditionally restore” Khan and Bushra Bibi Khan’s access to their families and lawyers. It also demanded adequate medical care and an immediate end to what it described as unlawful solitary confinement.
The organisation further urged authorities to protect peaceful demonstrations marking the anniversary and avoid what it called unlawful and arbitrary crackdowns on PTI supporters.
Khan’s health has become a central dispute. He was diagnosed with a retinal condition in his right eye in January and has received five injections at a government hospital, according to the PTI. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear his petition for treatment at a private hospital in Islamabad and access to doctors of his choice.
The Pakistani government has rejected allegations of mistreatment and arbitrary detention. Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry said Khan’s detention had been subject to “continuous judicial oversight”.
He said Khan had been provided with “dedicated accommodation, cooking arrangements, exercise facilities and other amenities that go well beyond what is ordinarily available to prisoners”.
Chaudhry also rejected the possibility of a political settlement, saying: “Any relief must come through the judicial process, not through political negotiations.”
Analysts differ on what could end the Imran Khan detention. Some argue that the military’s strategic calculations remain decisive, while political commentator Zaigham Khan said Khan’s refusal to apologise for the 9 May 2023 violence remained a major obstacle.
For now, the government maintains that Khan’s cases must proceed through the courts, while PTI supporters continue to demand his release and describe his imprisonment as part of a broader campaign against the party.
Image credit: Anjum Naveed/AP.
