The Rule of Law as a Weapon

How Pakistan’s Judiciary is Being Used Against Imran Khan and His Supporters

The rule of law is supposed to ensure justice, fairness, and equal treatment for all. But in Pakistan today, it has become a tool of oppression—selectively applied, manipulated, and weaponized against one man and those who stand by him. Imran Khan, once the country’s most popular leader, has found himself at the receiving end of a legal onslaught designed not to uphold justice, but to erase him and his movement from the political landscape.

What has unfolded over the past two years is not a legal process; it is a calculated campaign to isolate, punish, and silence Khan and his supporters. The judiciary, instead of acting as a neutral arbiter, has aligned itself with the state’s objectives, turning legal institutions into instruments of political control.

The Legal Onslaught Against Khan

Since his removal from office in April 2022, Imran Khan has faced an avalanche of legal cases—ranging from corruption to sedition and even terrorism. The sheer volume of cases is unprecedented, and many of the charges are flimsy at best, fabricated at worst. This is not about accountability; it is about neutralization.

The courts have repeatedly fast-tracked verdicts against him, while delaying or outright dismissing legal relief. Bails granted in one case are immediately followed by arrests in another. Judicial proceedings that should be transparent and impartial instead appear orchestrated to keep him entangled in endless litigation, ensuring that he remains behind bars or at least politically incapacitated.

Silencing His Supporters

The crackdown is not limited to Imran Khan alone. His supporters—ordinary citizens, journalists, and activists—have been subjected to mass arrests, intimidation, and harassment. Anyone who speaks in his favor risks being labeled an enemy of the state. Social media users who express support are summoned, questioned, or worse, forcibly disappeared.

Peaceful gatherings are broken up under the pretext of security concerns, while draconian laws are invoked to justify censorship and arrests. The state has created an environment where even private conversations can lead to legal repercussions. Fear, not justice, has become the guiding principle of governance.

A Judiciary Complicit in Repression

The judiciary’s role in this entire scheme has been crucial. Instead of upholding constitutional rights, courts have largely facilitated the suppression of Khan and his supporters. Bail applications are rejected without cause, trials are conducted in secrecy, and legal challenges to the state’s actions are dismissed with little justification.

The selective application of the law is glaring. Those responsible for excessive force, human rights abuses, and blatant political interference face no consequences, while Khan and his supporters are punished at every turn. This is not justice—it is retribution.

The Broader Consequences

This isn’t just about one man. The manipulation of the legal system to crush political opposition sets a dangerous precedent. If the judiciary continues to serve as an instrument of repression rather than a pillar of justice, no leader, movement, or citizen will be safe from state persecution in the future.

The erosion of judicial independence and the criminalization of dissent will not stabilize the country. In fact, it will do the opposite. Public faith in institutions is already at an all-time low, and the more the state tightens its grip, the greater the backlash it risks provoking.

Justice or Control?

Pakistan’s rulers must ask themselves a simple question: Do they seek justice, or do they seek control? Because history has shown, time and time again, that regimes that rely on repression to maintain power ultimately collapse under the weight of their own injustices.

The law was meant to serve the people, not the powerful. Until that principle is restored, Pakistan will remain in a state of perpetual crisis—one where legal institutions are feared, not respected, and where the promise of justice is nothing more than an illusion.