When domestic legal disputes in Pakistan begin to be argued through international opinion pages, the line between legal process and external influence starts to blur. What is presented as concern for due process can, at times, turn into an attempt to reshape it. This raises a broader question about where judicial authority ultimately resides within Pakistan’s courts or within competing public narratives. The answer matters not only for one case, but for the integrity of legal systems operating under increasing international scrutiny.

A recent column by Eric Lewis in The Independent calling for the release of Imran Khan presents itself as a defence of due process. Yet the argument leans less on legal analysis and more on framing the issue as a political necessity. It questions outcomes while largely sidestepping the procedural record that produced them.

The basic facts are not in dispute. Ex Prime Minister, Imran Khan has been convicted in multiple cases under Pakistan’s legal framework, including the Al-Qadir Trust case (January 2025) and a Toshakhana-related case (December 2025). Both are currently under appeal. This sequence-trial, conviction, and appellate review-constitutes due process. Whether one agrees with the outcomes is a separate question. But the presence of process itself is not unclear.

Even a brief look at the legal record makes this evident. The Toshakhana conviction, for instance, centers on the retention and valuation of state gifts, with appellate courts now expected to examine........

© Eurasia Review