Following a protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters against the University of Hull in Manchester, the educational institution clarified its stance regarding Judge Humayun Dilawar’s involvement in an ongoing training program.
PTI activists gathered on the university campus to object to the presence of the jurist, who had pronounced a conviction against the party’s leader, Imran Khan, in the Toshakhana case. The protesters demanded his removal from the training program after it came to light that he had traveled to London for the training.
However, it was revealed that Dilawar’s visit to the United Kingdom was not without context. A statement issued by the university in response to the controversy explained that his participation was a result of his selection by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for the training.
The university further clarified that it has been conducting human rights and rule of law training for Pakistani judges since 2014, with the selection of participants being carried out by their respective high courts within Pakistan.
Read more: Judge who sentenced Imran Khan goes abroad
“The current group of participants has been chosen by the Islamabad High Court, the Peshawar High Court, and the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The University is not involved in the selection process of judges,” the statement emphasized.
On August 5th, Judge Dilawar, an Additional District and Sessions judge, handed a three-year prison sentence to former Prime Minister Khan in the Toshakhana case, which caused significant upheaval within the party.
