JUSTICE AND FREEDOM FOR IMRAN KHAN
An Open Letter to the Government of Pakistan
We, the undersigned Convenors of SHAPE, express our deep concern over the continued imprisonment of former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan and the serious deterioration of his health while in custody.
Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023. Of particular concern is the deterioration of his eyesight. It has been reported that he suffered sudden and complete loss of vision in his right eye and was diagnosed with right central retinal vein occlusion. A report submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan in February 2026 also raised serious concerns regarding the failure of the prison authorities to respond adequately to his earlier complaints of persistent blurred and hazy vision.
The health and wellbeing of a political prisoner should be accorded the highest priority. Whatever one's political views, a government committed to justice and the rule of law has a fundamental responsibility to protect the health, safety and dignity of those in its custody.
Our concern, however, extends beyond the immediate question of Imran Khan's health. He was a democratically elected leader who was removed from power in 2022. His subsequent imprisonment, together with the numerous charges brought against him and his wife, raises profound questions about political justice, democratic rights and the treatment of political opponents in Pakistan.
There is also a wider international dimension to his situation. Imran Khan's position on major regional and international questions, particularly his commitment to an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, challenged powerful interests. Such a position was bound to concern Israel and the United States, as well as those within the region who have preferred a political leadership willing to profess support for Palestine while accommodating Israeli and American interests.
More broadly, powerful vested interests in the arms and energy industries have long benefited from an international order in which the politics and economics of West Asia remain dominated by established centres of power. An independent minded leader with the ability to mobilise people against such interests can consequently be perceived as a threat to that order. It is significant in this context that Jeffrey Epstein reportedly viewed Imran Khan as “dangerous.”
The determination with which Pakistan's ruling establishment has pursued charges against Imran Khan and his wife should therefore concern all those who believe in truth, justice and democratic accountability. The manner in which political and legal processes have been employed against him demands serious scrutiny.
The issue before us is therefore not simply the fate of one political leader. It concerns the wider principles of democracy, political freedom and justice. Imran Khan's continued incarceration also has significance beyond Pakistan because his political positions have intersected with broader struggles against injustice, hegemony, imperialism and racism.
We therefore call upon the Government of Pakistan and the relevant authorities to:
Release Imran Khan from imprisonment and restore his fundamental political and civil rights.
Ensure that he receives immediate, independent and appropriate medical care, particularly in relation to the serious deterioration of his eyesight.
Guarantee his safety, dignity and wellbeing while in custody, in accordance with fundamental principles of justice and human rights.
Ensure that all legal proceedings against Imran Khan and his family are conducted fairly, transparently and without political interference.
We urge the Government of Pakistan to act with urgency and humanity. The continued incarceration of Imran Khan cannot be separated from the larger questions of democratic rights and justice that his case has come to represent.
The struggle for justice requires that political differences be resolved through democratic processes rather than imprisonment and political suppression. We therefore call for the immediate release of Imran Khan and the restoration of his full political and civil rights.
