The conviction of dozens of civilian supporters of Imran Khan, the former Pakistani leader, in the country’s military courts is of “deep concern” to the UK and the US, officials have said.
On Monday, 25 supporters were jailed for between two and 10 years, which the army warned was a “stark reminder” for people to never take the law into their own hands.
Violence erupted across Pakistan when Mr Khan was arrested by paramilitary forces in Islamabad in May 2023 after he was ousted through a no confidence vote the previous year.
The former Pakistan cricket captain and English county cricketer has been behind bars since August 2023 after being convicted of corruption and then of leaking state secrets.
The Foreign Office in London said: “While the UK respects Pakistan’s sovereignty over its own legal proceedings, trying civilians in military courts lacks transparency, independent scrutiny and undermines the right to a fair trial.
“We call on the government of Pakistan to uphold its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”
Mr Khan spoke to the media after his arrest last May. Pic: Reuters
The US state department asked Pakistan to respect the right to a fair trial and due process.
“The United States is deeply concerned that Pakistani civilians have been sentenced by a military tribunal for their involvement in protests on 9 May 2023,” a statement said.
“These military courts lack judicial independence, transparency, and due process guarantees.”
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Imran Khan supporters clash with police last month
Mr Khan’s opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party has rejected the conviction of civilians and demanded they be tried in normal courts if they were involved in the riots.
Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government did not respond to criticism from the US and the UK, but state-run Pakistan Television showed people welcoming the convictions, saying the punishments were given to people who attacked military installations.
Supporters of Mr Khan blocked a road in Karachi last May as part of a protest against his arrest. Pic: AP
Attaullah Tarar, the information minister, accused Mr Khan’s party of “hiring foreign lobbying groups to run campaigns against Pakistan”.
State-run media said Mr Tarar has vowed the mastermind of the violence would be held accountable. His government has previously said Mr Khan was the mastermind, which he denies.
Earlier this month, Mr Khan and dozens of others were indicted by a civilian court on charges of inciting people that day, when demonstrators attacked the military’s headquarters in Rawalpindi, torched a building where state-run Radio Pakistan operates from, and stormed an air base in Mianwali in the eastern Punjab province.
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