ISLAMABAD: Amnesty International has urged authorities to immediately allow former Prime Minister Imran Khan access to his family members and legal counsel.
It has expressed serious concerns over alleged violations of Khan’s fundamental human rights.
In a statement, the human rights organization condemned the repeated use of high-pressure water cannons by authorities against peaceful protesters outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
According to Amnesty International, the action amounts to a clear violation of the constitutional right to peaceful assembly.
The protesters had staged a sit-in outside the jail after repeated denial of meetings with Imran Khan, despite court orders permitting such visits.
Amnesty reported that the demonstration was dispersed using water cannons late at night, with protesters alleging that chemical substances were mixed in the water used, despite freezing weather conditions.
Amnesty International emphasized that under international human rights standards, water cannons should only be deployed in situations involving widespread violence or serious public disorder.
The organization called on the authorities to respect the public’s right to peaceful protest and to end the use of disproportionate and punitive force against demonstrators.
