Boris Johnson Urges UK to Intervene for Imran Khan

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called on the United Kingdom to use its influence to secure the release of Pakistani politician and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently being held in what Johnson describes as "rotting" jail conditions. Johnson asserts that Khan is being subjected to politically motivated persecution designed to remove him from public life.

Khan, who served as Pakistan's prime minister from 2018 to 2022, has been incarcerated for over three years. Johnson detailed Khan's harsh confinement, describing a "small, dank, insect-infested cell" measuring 6ft by 8ft, which includes a latrine. He noted the absence of a window, prolonged periods of darkness, and restricted access to books, newspapers, and visitors, leading to concerns about Khan's mental stability. Additionally, Khan has reportedly lost 85% of the sight in his right eye due to "shoddy and delayed medical treatment."

The conditions of Khan's imprisonment have drawn condemnation from the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture three times in the past two years, as well as from Amnesty International and Pakistan's Supreme Court, which has ruled that he is being denied adequate medical care.

Johnson argued that the charges against Khan, particularly an accusation related to steering UK government funds towards a property developer who then donated to a university connected to Khan, are without merit. He stated that even if the accusations were true, Pakistani prosecutors conceded that neither Khan nor his wife stood to gain financially. Johnson contends that Khan is being subjected to "mental and physical torture" and deserves a speedy appeal.

"This case – like all of the lawfare he has faced since leaving office – has been driven by the desire of the Pakistani military to get him off the scene," Johnson wrote. He suggested Khan's "mistake" was taking democracy seriously and attempting to exercise his prerogatives as an elected official, including appointing the head of the military.

Johnson, who stated he knows and likes Khan, acknowledged that the former prime minister was not perfect, citing Khan's nuanced stance on the Ukraine invasion and his past views on the Taliban. However, he maintained that "nothing he said or did can conceivably justify the brutality with which the Pakistani generals are treating the former PM."

The former British Prime Minister believes the Pakistani military fears Khan's popularity. "What the Pakistani generals fear is that if they let him out, his millions of fans in Pakistan will simply bear him aloft to a tumultuous victory in the next available election," Johnson wrote. He highlighted Khan's status as a cricketing hero, having led Pakistan to its first World Cup victory in 1992.

Johnson criticized the UK government's response as "abject," noting that Khan's two sons, who hold British passports, have been denied visas to visit their father. He urged the UK government to "stop pussy-footing around, use our leverage and call for his release."

Johnson suggested that the Pakistani generals, led by Field Marshal Asim Munir, have nothing to fear from a 73-year-old man in poor health and that releasing Khan, perhaps under house arrest pending appeal, would be a "humane" action" consistent with Pakistan's own Supreme Court rulings. He expressed concern that Pakistani authorities might be hoping Khan will die in jail, which he warned would be a "serious stain on the country's reputation."