In response to Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, being detained, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged authorities to uphold the rule of law.
In a statement, Guterres urged all political parties to refrain from violence and urged Islamabad to observe due process in the case against the PTI leader.
According to his spokesperson, the eminent diplomat has noted the current demonstrations in response to the detention of the former prime minister Imran Khan and emphasized the need of respecting the right to peaceful assembly.
Washington had before urged Pakistan to uphold democratic values and the rule of law.
The populist former prime minister of Pakistan was detained over the weekend in connection with the Toshakhana scandal. The trial court ordered the PTI chairman’s arrest and sentenced him to three years in prison.
The judge ruled that the senior politician’s submission of false information to the election commission proved the former prime minister’s guilt on corruption allegations.
As the opposition criticized the politically driven cases brought against the former cricketer-turned-politician, his detention is expected to worsen the country’s current political unrest.