46 US Lawmakers Urge President Biden To Push For Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan's Release

Washington: In a major development, over 40 American lawmakers have called upon US President Joe Biden to vocate for immediate release of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, along with all or political prisoners in country and ensure ir safety in line with findings of 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 release of incarcerated PM.

details were shared by Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI), American Wing, on social media platform, X.
It noted that "46 members of US House of Representatives, including members from both Republican and Democratic parties, have written a letter to President Joe Biden calling for urgent action for release of Imran Khan".

According to post, letter was jointly led by Susan Wild and John James.

It is significant to note that PTI said that letter criticised role of US Ambassor Donald Blome and his failure to 'incorporate concerns of Pakistani American community in its work including meaningfully vocating for release of political prisoners, restoration of human rights, or respect for democratic principles'.

Geo News reported that Pakistan h denounced resolution, saying it "stems from an incomplete understanding of political situation and electoral process in Pakistan".

As per Geo News, in ir letter to President, US lawmakers, while referring to provision of H. Res. 901, said that legislation brought toger 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 aftermath of "flawed" February 2024 elections.

"se elections were characterised by widespre irregularities, electoral fraud, and state-led suppression of country's leing party, PTI, including disenfranchising party in leup to 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, American Lawmakers also expressed ir disappointment over "use of mass arrests, arbitrary detention, and implementation of a de facto firewall against social media platforms, with reports of broer efforts to slow internet access speeds".

As per Geo TV, lawmakers said a focal point of ir concern is 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 leers like Yasmin Rashid and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, have been in detention for over a year.
In a significant statement, Geo TV noted that American lawmakers said, "Given se alarming developments, we believe a change of approach at US Embassy in Islamab is urgently needed."

Last month, as many as 60 members of US House of Representatives h written a letter to president, calling on him to use Washington's leverage with Islamab for release of Khan, Geo News h earlier reported.

letter becomes significant as it marks first such collective call from multiple members of US Congress for release of Imran Khan

Opposition political parties expressed disappointment, stating that "PTI is continuously inviting foreign intervention for release of PTI founder", PPP opposition leer Sherry Rehman said.

letter written by members of US Congress was a clear interference in Pakistan's internal affairs, she said, ding that move was against international norms, Geo TV reported. 

(Except heline, this story is not edited by Republic and is published from a syndicated feed)