Amnesty International Urges Pakistan to Uphold Protest Rights Amid Political Turmoil

Amnesty International has urged Pakistani authorities to respect the rights of protesters and allow former Prime Minister Imran Khan a fair legal process. This call follows Khan's countrywide protest announcement and highlights concerns about military trials of civilians and restrictions on PTI members' freedoms.

Amnesty International has issued a stern call for Pakistan to respect citizens' rights, especially ensuring former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his party can legally challenge their detention. The UK's leading human rights NGO highlighted these issues following Khan's protest call scheduled for Independence Day.

The NGO sharply criticized Pakistan's military trials of civilians, pointing out their incompatibility with international human rights standards. These concerns come as Khan marks two years in detention and amid troubling reports of mistreatment by prison officials, including restricted access to legal representation.

Amnesty's statement emphasized the need for Pakistani authorities to facilitate peaceful protests and due legal process. Crackdowns on PTI supporters have intensified, with over 1,000 arrests in response to recent demonstrations. Amnesty says these actions seriously undermine the legal principle of due process.

(With inputs from agencies.)