Imran Khan not the only one silenced as Pakistan military stifles dissent

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 7 min read 100% complete January 30, 2026 at 12:11 AM

AI Summary

long article 7 min

Imran Khan, Pakistan's former prime minister, has been increasingly isolated in jail, with his party claiming restrictions are meant to silence him. His family alleges that military chief Field Marshall Asim Munir is behind the restrictions, a charge the government denies, citing Khan's violation of jail rules. Beyond Khan, journalists, analysts, and human rights advocates report a shrinking space for dissent in Pakistan. Recently, human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband were sentenced to 10 years in jail for anti-state social media posts. Khan's family is protesting the restrictions, arguing that they violate his rights to legal counsel and family visits, which are crucial for communicating with the outside world. Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 on corruption charges.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Rawalpindi 40% Adiala jail 40% Imaan Mazari ×260% Aleema Khanum ×460% Asim Munir ×270% Pakistan military ×280% Pakistan ×290% Imran Khan ×8100%

Keywords

imran khan 100% pakistan military 90% silenced 80% dissent 70% asim munir 60% freedom of speech 60% human rights 50% political prisoners 50% social media posts 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.70

Source Transparency

Source

BBC News - World

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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imran khan pakistan military silenced dissent asim munir freedom of speech human rights political prisoners social media posts

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