Hours after a United Nations working group said that Imran Khan’s detention is illegal, a United States official referred to the affair as an ‘internal matter’ for the country.
State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said in Monday’s routine press briefing that he would let the UN detail their assessment.
“I’ll let the United Nations offer any clarity on the comments that they’ve provided,” he said.
“And in the case of Mr. Khan, you’ve heard us say this before: This is an internal matter for Pakistan. I don’t have any assessment to offer from up here.”
Asked about the House resolution regarding Pakistan’s elections, Patel said that he would not speak about pending congressional legislation.
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However, he added that US had consistently and privately urged Pakistan to respect the rights of its people.
“Let me just say broadly that when it comes to Pakistan, our most senior officials, whether that be Secretary Blinken, Assistant Secretary Lu, Ambassador Blome, we have consistently and privately and publicly urged Pakistan to respect the rights of its people in line with its constitution and international commitments,” he said.
“We urge the Government of Pakistan to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of expression, freedom of association, peaceful assembly, and the freedom of religion as well.”
