Zac Goldsmith urges UK to press Pakistan on Imran Khan’s prison treatment
Imran Khan with his former brother-in-law Zac Goldsmith outside Kingston mosque, London, in 2009. PHOTO: Newsquest SL
Zac Goldsmith, a former UK Foreign Office minister and former brother-in-law of PTI founder Imran Khan, has raised concerns in the UK parliament over Khan’s treatment in prison, urging the British government to ensure he receives fair treatment amid reports of deteriorating health.
Speaking during a motion laid out by Baroness Alexander of Cleveden of the Labour Party, Goldsmith said that while Khan’s case was an internal matter for Pakistan, the denial of basic human rights could not be ignored.
"While Pakistan’s judicial processes are, of course, a matter for Pakistan, we are clear that the Pakistani authorities need to respect fundamental freedoms, including the right to a fair trial, due process, humane detention and access to appropriate medical treatment," she said. She also brought up Jimmy Lai's example, a Hong Kong media tycoon, for comparison.
The motion highlighted that the right to medical treatment and a fair trial were fundamental and must be upheld.
The treatment of Imran Khan at the hands of the Pakistani government is an international outrage.
Today Peers across the House urged the UK Foreign minister to step up@ImranKhanPTI pic.twitter.com/2PQcn9jgeLResponding on behalf of the Foreign Office, Minister of State Baroness Chapman of Darlington said that access to healthcare and family is for everyone regardless of nationality. With regards to Lai, the difference is that he is a British citizen, giving the UK specific consular responsibilities that do not apply to foreign nationals in the same manner.
Goldsmith said, "We understand that Imran Khan has been denied access to lawyers. He's been denied access to his family, including his two sons, my nephews, " and that, "he has been denied access even to doctors. We understand that he has spent much of his time in prison, in solitary confinement, and that his health is deteriorating rapidly."
He also raised the possibility of reviewing UK aid to Pakistan.
"Pakistan is often at the top of the list of UK aid until that country's government demonstrates a clear and unambiguous commitment to the Commonwealth Charter that it signed up to, which commits it to an independent judiciary and the rule of law," he said.
Lord Purvis of Tweed, a Liberal Democrat, brought up the suppression of opposition figures in Pakistan, as well as the military's state capture. Citing the last UK-Pakistan trade dialogue announced in July 2025, "there was regrettably no reference to human rights."
"Can the minister reassure the House that in our trading relationship, we are recognising human rights as a critical part of that, and we're not offering preferential market access to military enterprises committing human rights concerns?" he said.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon brought up that Khan's sons, Suleiman and Qasim, are British citizens. He said, "Can the Minister use her best offices to ensure facilitation of the two sons meeting their father? Especially during his acute and important treatment, which he needs on the decision of the courts of Pakistan to ensure that medical attention is received while having access to his family."
Lord Sikka questioned the possibility of ending aid and imposing sanctions in situations of human rights violations. "What moral imperative is guiding the government's foreign policy?" he said, to which the Foreign Office Representative replied, "We cannot end all aid to Pakistan because of counter-terrorism issues we work on together, as well as the environment," reiterating that the current foreign policy is acting in the UK's best interest
Lord Mohammad of Tinsley said that Pakistan has a history of imprisoning its leaders, and presented examples of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. He said, "In 2019, the government allowed Nawaz Sharif to visit the UK for medical treatment, so if the family and party members of Imran Khan were to put in a similar request, what would the government's response be?"
Lord Hannan of Kingsclere also said the "reason why Imran Khan is in prison is that he would win a free election... Can the UK government possibly set out a timetable whereby we're encouraging the authorities in Pakistan to allow a free and inclusive election," which will allow the return of democratic and economic stability in the country.
Khan has been in custody since August 2023 and is serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case. He also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act in connection with the May 9, 2023 protests.
A day earlier, Khan’s sister Aleema Khan criticised the PTI leadership for what she described as inaction over her brother’s release and health.
“The party seems relaxed, as if the founder’s treatment has already been completed. We are not seeing any action from PTI on his health matters. Enough is enough – anyone who cannot carry the weight of the founder’s narrative should step aside,” she said while speaking to reporters outside the Islamabad High Court.