Rawalpindi, May 20: Former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has refused to take a polygraph test related to the May 9 incidents, unless his legal team is present, reported by the Nation News. The test was scheduled to take place inside Adiala Jail, where Khan has been held for several months.
A special team from Lahore, led by DSP Asif Javed and including inspectors Muhammad Aslam, Muhammad Alam, and Muhammad Arham, arrived at the jail accompanied by forensic expert Abid Ayub from the Punjab Forensic Unit. Their aim was to question Khan and conduct the lie detector test.
However, when jail officials approached Khan’s cell to escort him to the interrogation room, he refused to come out. He told them clearly that he would not participate in the test unless his lawyers were allowed to be present during the process.
This latest development comes amid growing criticism from international human rights groups and justice organizations. Bodies such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) have raised serious concerns over what they describe as the unjust treatment and political victimization of Pakistan’s main opposition leader.
“These actions appear to be part of a wider pattern of suppressing political dissent,” said a spokesperson for Human Rights Watch.
Legal experts have also pointed out that denying an accused person access to legal representation during questioning can be seen as a violation of due process under both Pakistani law and international human rights norms.
Supporters of Khan argue that such pressure tactics are being used to keep him out of politics. Meanwhile, calls for a fair and transparent legal process continue to grow both inside and outside Pakistan.
