Islamabad, February 24 – Pakistan's history demonstrates that political imprisonment is a recurring tool of power used by both civilians and dictators, and is often justified in the name of accountability or national security. While the names of Pakistani leaders who have been imprisoned have changed, the pattern remains the same, according to a report.
"Those who deny freedom to others should not expect it themselves (Abraham Lincoln); this warning resonates uncomfortably in Pakistan's political history, where political imprisonment has become a recurring tool of governance. Barely a year after independence, Pakistan witnessed its first political imprisonment, when Bacha Khan, a prominent Pashtun leader, was arrested and charged with sedition in 1948 for allegedly conspiring against the state," Muhammad Mustafa Arif wrote in 'The Friday Times'.
Political imprisonment was most deeply rooted in Pakistan under the military rule of Zia-ul-Haq between 1977-1988. One of the most severe phases of political repression occurred during this period, with the imprisonment and eventual execution of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and the arrest of political workers during the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy. Bhutto was convicted for allegedly killing a political opponent, a charge that resulted in his execution in 1979.
In 2024, Pakistan's Supreme Court admitted that a fair trial and due process were not followed in Bhutto's case. Pakistan's then-Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa stated, "Therefore, we must be willing to confront our past missteps and acknowledge our fallibility with humility, in the spirit of self-accountability, and as a testament to our commitment to ensuring that justice is served with unwavering integrity and fidelity to the law." At the time of Isa's statement, Imran Khan, Pakistan's former Prime Minister, was arrested on August 5, 2023, along with other senior leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (