Fresh allegations by the sons of former Prime Minister Imran Khan regarding his jail conditions have once again placed Pakistan’s justice system under harsh international scrutiny. Their claims about harsh treatment, restricted access, and politically motivated confinement have intensified concerns that Pakistan’s prisons are being used not for justice, but for settling political scores. The statements come amid growing criticism that Pakistan’s legal and penal institutions have become extensions of establishment power, selectively deployed against opponents rather than governed by law.

Claims That Undercut Pakistan’s Rule-of-Law Narrative

According to Imran Khan’s sons, their father is being subjected to conditions that fall well short of basic legal and humanitarian standards. While Pakistani authorities insist that Khan is being treated “according to the law,” the lack of transparency and repeated restrictions on legal access tell a different story. Human rights observers argue that such opacity only reinforces suspicions of political victimisation in a system where accountability is applied selectively.

Political Prisoner or Criminal Defendant?

The controversy highlights a broader problem: Pakistan’s inability to convincingly separate law enforcement from political vendetta. Imran Khan’s incarceration follows a pattern seen with other opposition figures arrests, prolonged detentions, shifting charges, and delayed trials raising doubts about judicial independence. Critics say that when a former prime minister can be kept in contested conditions without credible oversight, the message to ordinary citizens is chilling.

A Judiciary Under Pressure

Pakistan’s courts, once seen as a potential check on executive overreach, are increasingly viewed as constrained by institutional pressure. The repeated failure to decisively address concerns over detention conditions has weakened public trust in the justice system. Legal experts warn that silence or delay from the judiciary risks normalising abuse under the cover of legality.

International Image Takes Another Hit

The allegations arrive at a time when Pakistan is already struggling with diplomatic isolation, economic dependence on bailouts, and criticism over democratic backsliding. Claims of mistreatment of a high-profile political detainee further erode Islamabad’s attempts to project itself as a responsible state governed by law. For international partners, the episode reinforces concerns about Pakistan’s commitment to human rights and democratic norms.

Selective Justice, Systemic Decay

Pakistan’s leadership often speaks of accountability, yet the perception remains that accountability applies only to those out of favour with the establishment. Meanwhile, powerful figures aligned with the system appear untouched by scrutiny. This selective application of justice has hollowed out institutions and deepened political polarisation.

A Symptom of a Larger Crisis

Whether every claim made by Imran Khan’s sons is ultimately proven or not, the controversy itself is telling. In a functioning democracy, jail conditions of a former prime minister would be transparent, monitored, and beyond dispute. In Pakistan, they are opaque, contested, and politicised reflecting a deeper institutional crisis. The issue is no longer just Imran Khan’s imprisonment; it is what his case reveals about a system where power, not law, increasingly decides who is punished and how.

This image is taken from Hindustan Times.