To: United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and global democratic institutions

We, the undersigned, raise a formal and urgent alarm regarding the disappearance and incommunicado detention of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, now unseen for more than three weeks. Neither his family nor his legal team has been granted access. No medical evaluations have been independently confirmed. No public appearance has been permitted.

For a 73-year-old political prisoner with documented risks to his safety, this abrupt and prolonged isolation is not only unacceptable, it is deeply dangerous.

Why this is a global human-rights emergency?

Imran Khan has been held under conditions resembling secret detention, a practice repeatedly condemned under international law.

Authorities claim he is “in good health,” yet refuse to allow even fundamental access to verify his well-being.

Reports suggest possible relocation to a more restrictive facility — a move that would further obstruct transparency.

Pakistan’s history of political repression and enforced disappearances makes this situation gravely concerning; patterns are being repeated in real time.

This is not simply a political dispute — it is a human-rights crisis

Imran Khan’s political downfall was intertwined with his public confrontation with the military establishment; the same institution historically accused of detaining, silencing, and dismantling civilian leaders who fall out of favour.

His arrest in 2023 sparked some of the biggest anti-military demonstrations in decades. Since then, the space for dissent has tightened dramatically.

What we demand — immediately
We call on international human-rights bodies, foreign governments, and global watchdogs to urgently intervene and demand that Pakistan:

• Provide immediate proof of life via a public appearance or verified visitation.
• Grant unrestricted access to his family, lawyers, and independent medical professionals.
• Ensure he is not transferred to any facility where oversight and transparency are diminished.
• Restore all fundamental protections owed to detainees under Pakistan’s Constitution and international human-rights law.
• Guarantee that no psychological or physical harm is inflicted while he remains in custody.

Why your signature matters

Silence in moments like this enables abuse.

When a former Prime Minister can vanish from public view, no citizen is safe.

A democracy cannot function when political opponents can be hidden away without scrutiny, accountability, or due process.

We demand access. We demand transparency. We demand accountability.