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In a major development, over 40 American lawmakers have called upon US President Joe Biden to advocate for the immediate release of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, along with all other political prisoners in the country and ensure their safety in line with the findings of the UN Working Group report, Geo TV reported.
In a letter to outgoing President Biden, as many as 46 members of Congress urged Biden to take steps and act for the release of the incarcerated PM. The details were shared by Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI), American Wing, on the social media platform, X. It noted that "46 members of the US House of Representatives, including members from both the Republican and Democratic parties, have written a letter to President Joe Biden calling for urgent action for the release of Imran Khan". According to the post, the letter was jointly led by Susan Wild and John James. https://x.com/PTIOfficialUSA/status/1857640211913617777 It is significant to note that PTI said that the letter criticised the role of the US Ambassador Donald Blome and his failure to 'incorporate the concerns of the Pakistani American community in its work including meaningfully advocating for the release of political prisoners, the restoration of human rights, or respect for democratic principles'. Geo News reported that Pakistan had denounced the resolution, saying it "stems from an incomplete understanding of the political situation and electoral process in Pakistan". As per Geo News, in their letter to the President, the US lawmakers, while referring to the provision of H. Res. 901, said that the legislation brought together Democrats and Republicans in support of a change in US policy, focusing on escalating human rights violations and erosion of civil liberties in Pakistan in the aftermath of the "flawed" February 2024 elections. "These elections were characterised by widespread irregularities, electoral fraud, and state-led suppression of the country's leading party, PTI, including disenfranchising the party in the leadup to the vote, as well as reversing precinct-level results, which showed an overwhelming victory for PTI-associated independent candidates", Geo TV noted. According to Geo TV, the American Lawmakers also expressed their disappointment over the "use of mass arrests, arbitrary detention, and the implementation of a de facto firewall against social media platforms, with reports of broader efforts to slow internet access speeds". As per Geo TV, the lawmakers said a focal point of their concern is the unlawful detention of former prime minister Imran Khan who has been incarcerated since August last year in multiple cases ranging from corruption to terrorism "widely perceived to be Pakistan's most popular political figure". It was also noted that several activists associated with PTI, including senior party leaders like Yasmin Rashid and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, have been in detention for over a year. In a significant statement, Geo TV noted that the American lawmakers said, "Given these alarming developments, we believe a change of approach at the US Embassy in Islamabad is urgently needed." Last month, as many as 60 members of the US House of Representatives had written a letter to the president, calling on him to use Washington's leverage with Islamabad for the release of Khan, Geo News had earlier reported. The letter becomes significant as it marks the first such collective call from multiple members of the US Congress for the release of Imran Khan Opposition political parties expressed disappointment, stating that "PTI is continuously inviting foreign intervention for the release of PTI founder", PPP opposition leader Sherry Rehman said. The letter written by members of the US Congress was a clear interference in Pakistan's internal affairs, she said, adding that the move was against international norms, Geo TV reported. (ANI)
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