The US State Department in its press briefing on October 30 spoke about various issues related to the imprisonment of former Pakistan PM Imran Khan to the state of human rights in the country.
On being asked about US's involvement in the indictment of Khan, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said, "As we've said many times, legal proceedings against the former Prime Minister are matters for the Pakistani courts to decide. The allegations that the U.S. played any role in his removal from office are false. We've gone over that any number of times. And ultimately, Pakistani politics are a matter for the Pakistani people to decide in accordance with their laws and constitution". His response came when he was questioned about the statement of senior PTI Latif Khosa, who claimed that Imran Khan could be released if Donald Trump was elected as the new president. He also said that if Donald Trump wins, the political landscape can be changed in favour of Imran Khan. It was also said that U.S. diplomat Donald Lu was involved in a conspiracy to remove Imran Khan from the prime minister's office. When asked about the protests taking place in Pakistan for the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, which resulted in many city roads being blocked, no access to the internet and no mobile phone service, Miller said, "In Pakistan, as around the world, we support freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. We call on protesters to demonstrate peacefully and refrain from violence, and at the same time, we call on Pakistani authorities to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and to ensure respect for Pakistan's law and - laws and constitution and work to maintain law and order". (ANI)
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