Dozens of American legislators have urged US President Joe Biden to push Islamabad to release Imran Khan and other political prisoners.
In a letter, the second such communication in less than a month, 46 Democratic and Republican MPs called on the outgoing president to help secure the release of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman.
The letter referred to the grim human rights situation in Pakistan in the wake of the Feb 2024 elections, which were allegedly marred by brazen anomalies, fraud and “state-led suppression” of PTI.
A resolution passed in June 2024 with overwhelming bipartisan support serves as a framework for the US action, the according to the lawmakers.
According to Dawn, the letter noted, “the situation has worsened” with “rampant curbs on civil liberties, particularly on freedom of expression.”
The legislators denounced the use of mass arrests, arbitrary detentions and a “de facto firewall” on social media platforms, alongside efforts to slow internet access.
Khan was widely perceived to be Pakistan’s most popular political figure, whose incarceration had drawn global denunciation, the letter claimed.
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Amnesty International and other human rights organisations had called for the PTI founder’s immediate release, it said.
“We urgently call on the US government to advocate for the immediate release of former Prime Minister Khan and all political prisoners,” the lawmakers said.
They also hit out at the US Embassy in Islamabad for failing to address the concerns of the Pakistani-American community or advocating for democratic principles in Pakistan.
After the vote, they recalled, the US Embassy issued a statement welcoming the new administration. The felicitation came despite concerns about the legitimacy of the election results.
They urged the Biden administration to ensure the incoming US ambassador prioritised human rights and democratic values in Pakistan.
Washington had moral and strategic obligations to support democratic values and human rights in Pakistan, the lawmakers stressed.
“Ultimately, we believe that the many vital interests that our countries share can only be effectively and sustainably advanced if accompanied by a US approach driven by a robust commitment to the democratic process and universal rights.”
But Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar accused the PTI of inviting foreign interference to destabilise Pakistan.
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