New Delhi: Over 60 members of Congress have written a letter to US President Joe Biden, asking him to intervene to secure the release of political prisoners in Pakistan, including former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The letter stated that the Pakistani parliamentary elections in February witnessed unprecedented irregularities, including extensive electoral fraud, government-led attempts to disenfranchise voters, and the arrest and detention of political leaders, journalists, and activists. US lawmakers reiterated their demands for Imran Khan’s immediate release and called for an end to the widespread arbitrary detention of backers of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party.
“At a minimum, we ask your administration to urgently secure the guarantees from the Pakistani government for Khan’s safety and well-being and urge US Embassy officials to visit him in prison,” according to the letter.
‘Widespread human rights violations’
The US lawmakers voiced their concern about what they condemned as the “ongoing widespread human rights violations” in Pakistan after the parliamentary elections in that country. “More broadly, developments since the February vote point to a clear turn towards authoritarianism in the country,” the letter read. “… Simply put, Pakistan’s current system amounts to ‘military rule with civilian facade,’” it added.
The US lawmakers pointed out that the Pakistani government has also stepped up its crackdown on social media and the internet as part of a broader effort to stifle political activism and put pressure on journalists.
The letter, written by Representative Greg Casar; Representatives Jim McGovern and Summer Lee are co-leaders of the group, said Khan, 72, had “widespread support in the country (Pakistan)”.
No reaction to the letter has come from the White House till now. Pakistani officials are yet to comment on it.
Since August 2023, Imran Khan has been behind bars on a raft of charges, including corruption and inciting violence against military facilities. He has denied all these allegations. In June, the US House of Representatives voted 368-7 to call for a thorough and independent probe into claims of interference or irregularities in Pakistan’s February elections.
