Syed Ashraful Huq joins calls for humane treatment of Imran Khan

Former Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) general secretary Syed Ashraful Huq has joined growing calls for the humane treatment of former Pakistan prime minister and legendary cricketer Imran Khan, describing the conditions of his imprisonment as “inhuman” and saying the cricket icon deserves relief.

Huq, who has known Imran for more than five decades, said keeping the former Pakistan captain in what his family and lawyers describe as harsh prison conditions was unacceptable and contrary to basic human rights.

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“Imran Khan is a highly respected individual throughout the world. His only motive of joining politics in Pakistan was to get rid of the corruption that is in Pakistan. He had a clear mandate from the people to lead the country,” Huq said in a statement.

“To keep him in jail in inhuman conditions is not what the world wants or not what any civilised nation would want. It is completely illegal in terms of human rights and how unconstitutional it is. The treatment of Imran Khan amounts to barbarism.”

It is completely illegal in terms of human rights and how unconstitutional it is. The treatment of Imran Khan amounts to barbarism.

Imran, 73, has been imprisoned at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail amid a series of legal cases since his removal from office in 2022. His family and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have repeatedly raised concerns over his prison conditions, access to medical care and restrictions on family meetings.

His legal team and family have alleged that he has been kept in solitary confinement for extended periods in a small cell and has suffered from deteriorating eyesight and other health concerns. A UN torture expert has previously raised concerns about the conditions in which he has been held.

Pakistani authorities have rejected the allegations, maintaining that Imran is being kept separately for security reasons and has access to food, exercise facilities, reading material and medical care. The government has also said he has undergone repeated medical examinations and has been declared medically fit by government-appointed doctors.

The concerns, however, have increasingly spread beyond Pakistan's political arena and into the cricketing world.

A group of 21 former international captains recently wrote to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, calling for humane treatment and proper medical care for Imran. Among the signatories were India greats Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, Australia's Greg Chappell, Steve Waugh, Allan Border and Adam Gilchrist, and England's Sir Alastair Cook, Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain, Michael Brearley, David Gower and Andrew Strauss.

Australian Test captain Pat Cummins has also publicly backed calls for an independent medical assessment and continued family access for Imran.

Huq's intervention carries a particularly personal connection, with his friendship with Imran stretching back to 1971, when the latter visited Dhaka as a member of the Lahore Under-19 team.

“I have known Imran Khan from February 1971, when he had come to play for Lahore Under-19s team to play in Dhaka. He was a bright young fellow,” Huq recalled.

I have known Imran Khan from February 1971, when he had come to play for Lahore Under-19s team to play in Dhaka. He was a bright young fellow.

“He used to bowl really fast in those days, but I remember he ended up scoring a century against us. We became friends during that match, and since then, we have always remained in touch.”

Their friendship continued after Bangladesh's independence, when both were studying in England. Huq visited Imran at Oxford University's Keble College, where he also recalled the future Pakistan captain playing hockey. They met during Pakistan's tours of India and at various places around the world, maintaining their friendship even after Imran entered politics.

Huq said he had often worried about Imran's safety during his political career because of the intense rivalry surrounding him. Imran, however, remained firm in his convictions.

“Whenever I met him in the latter years, I used to fear for his life due to political rivalry,” Huq said.

“But him being a God-fearing man, he used to tell me, ‘Ash, if I am destined to die like that, I will die like that. You cannot save me, nobody can save me. It's Allah’s will. So if a bullet is written in my name, it will go through me. So why should I get worried about it and forget about principles in life?’”

Huq also remembered Imran's position on the atrocities committed during the 1971 Liberation War, saying he was the first Pakistani politician he knew who insisted that Pakistan should apologise for them.

He fondly recalled meeting Imran's family on several occasions, including a boat ride on the Buriganga River in Dhaka during the 1990s.

“Imran could have led a family life, but he gave all that up because of his principles,” Huq said.

“He wanted something good to be done in Pakistan. The way he is being treated, it is inhuman. Look at the outcry in the whole world. Everyone is saying that this is not the right thing to do.”

With former captains and current players speaking out over Imran's welfare, Huq believes the issue should be viewed through a humanitarian lens rather than a political one.

“I think we all should unite and try and get some relief for him, at least,” he said.