Baroness Alexander of Cleveden
Main Page: Baroness Alexander of Cleveden (Labour - Life peer)
Baroness Alexander of Cleveden
To ask His Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Pakistan regarding the protection of the rights and the welfare of former Prime Minister Imran Khan during his imprisonment, including access to medical care and family visits.
Baroness Alexander of Cleveden (Lab)
My Lords, I thank noble Lords for their participation in this debate. It is my first QSD debate so I will be looking to the Deputy Chairman of Committees—I assume that we do not make reference to the Woolsack—to correct me if I make a procedural faux pas. I can promise that there will be no cricketing analogies because they are definitely beyond me.
This debate is a serious matter. It follows a recent Question in the Chamber on which several noble Lords who are present here today contributed. Since then, Ministers have helpfully provided Written Answers confirming that His Majesty’s Government expect the Pakistani authorities to respect fundamental freedoms, including due process, humane detention and access to appropriate medical treatment for all detainees, including the former Prime Minister, Mr Imran Khan.
I am grateful to my noble friend Lady Chapman of Darlington for participating in this debate and sharing the Government’s current thinking on this issue. Our debate is timely in view of the deteriorating welfare of Mr Imran Khan. The concerns span his health, conditions of detention and access to medical care, the denial of family access and recurring questions concerning access to justice. In raising these matters, I recognise that noble Lords can range more widely in the breadth of their concerns than Ministers may. For example, Ministers have confirmed in recent Answers that they would not advocate for specific medical arrangements for an individual prisoner in another jurisdiction, however distinguished they might be.
However, this debate allows the airing of overlapping concerns that span health, welfare and access to justice and the relationship of those concerns with universal principles concerning human rights, due process and democratic concerns. Other more expert noble Lords may comment on the wider context, but I simply note that, in any country, the recurring incarceration of political opponents generally damages rather than advances the cause of democracy. This debate is not to endorse any one politician’s programme or past record. Mr Imran Khan, like every politician—past, present and future—has made mistakes. This is about making our voice heard around the concerns that have been raised.
In 2024, Amnesty International, reviewing Imran Khan’s conviction and sentencing, found several fair trial violations that resulted in arbitrary detention and denial of his right to liberty. Worryingly, it
“noted a pattern of weaponization of the legal system to keep Imran Khan under detention and away from all political activity”.
The former Prime Minister is not just any other prisoner: the issue before us is that countless people of good will who care about Pakistan and its future and democracy are deeply concerned about Imran Khan.
Let me turn to three troubling specifics. The first is family access. Despite previous assurances, some of Mr Khan’s immediate family remain effectively barred from seeing him. I understand that his sons, Sulaiman and Kasim Khan, who are British citizens, have not been permitted to visit their father since December. They should have the right to visit their father in a way that does not impact their right to British consular protection. Moreover, such humanitarian access becomes more acute when a detainee’s health is in question.
The second concern is medical care. There seems to be agreement that Mr Khan’s medical condition has reached a critical stage. I understand that the Islamabad high court recently formed a medical board to oversee his treatment but rejected the request to include his personal physicians. His family have also indicated that they feel kept in the dark regarding his treatment protocols.
The third concern is fair treatment. Mr Khan recently indicated that his wife, Bushra Bibi, is being kept in isolation except for a rarely granted 30-minute weekly meeting. These allegations concern the rule of law and fair treatment. The targeting of family members to pressure a detainee is a violation of international norms.
Each of these three challenges, around family access, medical care and fair treatment, concerns the conduct of authorities in Pakistan, so His Majesty’s Government properly tread very lightly. I therefore turn my remarks to the Minister. On 25 February, she helpfully confirmed to the noble Lord, Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park, that the UK consistently advocates for family access. That is very welcome. However, given the continuing obstacles surrounding access and the ongoing concerns about the former PM’s welfare, will the Minister help secure a meeting with the relevant FCDO Minister, Hamish Falconer, for a small cross-party delegation of Peers to explore humanitarian access for Imran Khan’s sons, to help secure the visas that would allow for full diplomatic protection, so that they can visit their father without risking their safety?
The Minister will also be aware of the concerns surrounding the detention of other current and former politicians. We look forward to learning how His Majesty’s Government can best support demonstrable improvements in human rights, specifically the humane treatment of political detainees, their access to legal counsel and the importance of not pressurising family members.
Time does not permit me to dwell—at least, not for long—on Britain’s shared history with Pakistan, its geopolitical importance and the hopeful aspirations of its young people. I have observed all of these things in my own visits to the country to deepen educational links and through my work with the British Council. Pakistan is a valued member of the Commonwealth and an important trading and security partner. It is a nation that is navigating the rising aspirations of many alongside a recently rising poverty rate. It is a country that experiences the impact of climate change, alongside border conflicts, and wrestles with the balance between military power and control by civilian authorities in democratic systems. The consequences of all these forces resonate globally, and we have a shared interest in the country’s lasting stability, prosperity and co-operation.
Finally, every participant in this debate is aware that the United Kingdom has deep people-to-people ties with Pakistan. Britain is enriched by 1.5 million British Pakistanis, friends and neighbours, many of whom take a close interest in these matters. We all share an interest in Pakistan’s future, the welfare of its citizens and the upholding of democratic and judicial norms. So the ask today is simple: for the British Government to use their undoubted influence, where they can, to uphold the principles that this country holds dear—those of fairness, justice and compassion.