The White House has confirmed receipt of a letter from over 60 members of the US House of Representatives urging President Joe Biden to intervene in the case of Imran Khan, the ousted Prime Minister of Pakistan and founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed the receipt during a press briefing in Washington, stating that the administration would respond to the letter in due course.

Miller emphasized the US government’s commitment to a flourishing democracy in Pakistan, highlighting the fundamental right of all citizens to participate in democratic processes and exercise their basic freedoms.

The letter, delivered earlier this week, calls on President Biden to prioritize human rights in US-Pakistan policy and to actively work towards the release of Khan and other political prisoners held in Pakistani jails. It also requests that US embassy officials be granted access to Khan in Adiala Jail.

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This US Congressional action follows a similar move by over 20 British Members of Parliament from various parties. They have written to the British government urging it to pressure Pakistan for Khan’s release.

The letter, initiated by Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson at the request of Imran Khan’s international affairs advisor, Zulfi Bukhari, and signed by members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, expresses concern over the legality of Khan’s imprisonment.

The British parliamentarians view Khan’s detention as a threat to democracy and have appealed to their government to take action to secure his release, citing principles of human rights and democracy.