The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party announced on Friday that their leader,former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has enlisted the internationally renownedbarrister Geoffrey Ronald Robertson to represent him in internationalcourts. This legal representation pertains to cases concerning “unlawfuldetention and human rights abuses.”
The PTI party has faced a nationwide crackdown following Khan’s initialarrest on May 9, which was linked to alleged corruption and triggeredwidespread protests leading to the destruction of state facilities,including military assets. Although Khan was subsequently released on bail,he was later convicted in a graft case and sentenced to three years inprison, dealing a fresh blow to his political career. His path to apolitical comeback before an anticipated early national election appears tobe marred by a protracted legal battle.
The PTI made the announcement through a tweet, stating, “PTI Chairman,Former Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI has appointed the eminent Human RightsBarrister Geoffrey Robertson KC of @DoughtyStreet Chambers to advise andrepresent him in international courts in relation to unlawful detention andhuman rights abuses.”
Numerous high-ranking and mid-level PTI leaders, along with hundreds ofKhan’s supporters, have been arrested since the violent protests on May 9.Some have left the party after their release, while others have gone intohiding to evade arrest.
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Khan himself is facing multiple legal cases, including one involving thealleged leaking of state secrets, which carries the death penalty. Prior tohis arrest, he accused the military of attempting to dismantle his partyand derail his political career, a claim denied by the army.
Geoffrey Robertson, a barrister with a career dating back to 1973, hassuccessfully represented prominent media outlets such as The Guardian,Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal. His client list includesnotable figures like heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, Dow Jones, andJulian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks. Robertson has appeared in casesbefore the European Court of Human Rights and various other internationalcourts and has undertaken numerous human rights missions on behalf ofAmnesty International in countries such as Mozambique, Venda,Czechoslovakia, Malawi, Vietnam, and South Africa. In 2015, he representedArmenia alongside barrister Amal Clooney at the European Court of HumanRights, and since 2016, he has been representing Lula da Silva, the currentpresident of Brazil.
