IPU urges mission to Pakistan over detainees
- The Inter-Parliamentary Union urged an official mission to Pakistan to inspect detained politicians' health, including former Prime Minister Imran Khan, on Friday. - The IPU named Imran Khan among detainees of concern and called for access to medical records and face-to-face meetings, it said yesterday. - The IPU request follows international advocacy and seeks to deploy envoys within weeks, the social post said. (x.com)
1/ The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), a global organization of national parliaments, called on Friday for an official mission to Pakistan to check the health of detained opposition politicians, including former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The request demands access to medical records and in-person meetings with detainees. 2/ IPU's Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians issued the appeal after reviewing complaints from Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party about his deteriorating health in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi. Khan, 71, has been held since August 2023 on charges including corruption and inciting violence, which he denies as politically motivated. 3/ The mission would include IPU envoys visiting at least five named detainees: Imran Khan, PTI lawmakers Amir Dogar, Shibli Faraz, and Ali Wazir, plus Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman. IPU wants "immediate and unfettered access" to their medical files and independent doctors. 4/ This follows months of international pressure. In April 2026, UN Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor urged Pakistan to release Khan, citing "arbitrary detention." Amnesty International reported in March on poor jail conditions, including limited medical care for political prisoners. 5/ Pakistan's government has rejected prior IPU visits. In 2024, it denied access to Khan, calling the requests "interference in internal affairs." Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said last month that Khan receives regular checkups at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital. 6/ Khan's legal team claims he suffers from heart issues, diabetes, and injuries from alleged jail assaults. PTI shared photos in April 2026 showing bruises, but authorities called them fabricated. An independent medical exam was allowed once in November 2024, finding "no serious issues." 7/ IPU, founded in 1889 with 180 member parliaments, has sent 200+ missions since 1976 to probe detainee cases in 50 countries. Past successes include releasing Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi aides in 2010 and easing pressure on Hong Kong lawmakers in 2021. 8/ Deployment could happen within weeks if Pakistan agrees—IPU proposed dates in late May or early June 2026. The Islamabad government has 30 days to respond under IPU rules. Rejection would escalate to IPU's full assembly in October. 9/ PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan welcomed the call on X, saying it "exposes the facade of Imran's good health." Government spokesperson Attaullah Tarar dismissed it as "routine PTI propaganda." Pakistan's Supreme Court hears Khan's bail pleas on May 20.
