Who is Humayun Dilawar, the judge who sentenced Imran Khan and left Pakistan?

The name of Additional District Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar has gained prominence in Pakistan following his conviction and sentencing of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case.

Dilawar not only found Khan guilty of "corrupt practices" in the Toshakhana case but also imposed a fine of Rs 100,000 on him. Shortly after delivering the verdict, which included the order for Khan's arrest at his Lahore residence, Dilawar departed for London.

The reason?

As reported by Pakistan's ARY News, Judge Dilawar traveled to London with his family to attend a judicial conference at the University of Hull from August 5 to 13.

It was disclosed that Judge Dilawar's name was not initially on the list of judges scheduled to attend the conference. His name was added on August 4, upon the recommendation of the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

The registrar of the High Court sent a letter to the session judge on August 4 regarding this matter.

Humayun Dilawar: A profile

He previously served as a judge in a Gender-based Violence court before being transferred to the Sessions court. He held the position in the Court of Gender Discrimination from April 1, 2022, to April 13, 2023.

According to a report from The News, Judge Dilawar issued death sentences to seven individuals during the trial phase in the past year. Additionally, he handed down life imprisonment to eleven individuals in separate cases.

"The judge presided over 1322 cases in a year and achieved a target of 1235 points for case management. He exceeded the target by accumulating 1717 points through case hearings and judgments," the document stated.

PTI workers go after Dilawar in UK

The sentencing of Khan to three years by Dilawar drew strong reactions from supporters of the PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) party both within Pakistan and abroad.

Consequently, some of Khan's supporters in London staged a protest at the University of Hull. Many PTI supporters also contacted the university via email, urging them to remove Judge Dilawar from the conference.

The University Of HULL update :
The news is that the Judge Humayun Dilawar is still inside the University & continuing with his workshop. We had a meeting with the administration & the concerns have been conveyed. British Pakistanis have started gathering outside the HULL… pic.twitter.com/Kp27CBid4z

— Jahanzeb Khan PTI UK (@JKhanClassified) August 8, 2023

However, the University dismissed these unfounded requests, clarifying that the selection of judges for training is carried out by the respective High Courts and not the University.

The University's statement read, "The current cohort of judges has been selected by the Islamabad High Court, the Peshawar High Court, and the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The University does not play a role in the selection of judges."