A group of 160 Pakistani parliamentarians have denounced a letter from 62 US Congress members to President Joe Biden urging the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, calling it interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs.
The Pakistani lawmakers, in a 16-page letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, strongly rejected the US Congress’s intervention.
Signatories to the letter include prominent figures such as Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, Naveed Qamar, Mustafa Kamal, Asia Naz Tanoli, and Khalid Magsi. The parliamentarians argued that Pakistan is grappling with democratic challenges exacerbated by extremist politics.
The letter accuses Imran Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, of inciting widespread violence and vandalism on May 9, 2023, including attacks on Parliament, state television, and Radio Pakistan.
They further allege that Khan instigated political violence and criminal threats against state institutions, citing similar instances in August 2014 and May 2022.
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The parliamentarians claim Khan continues to incite unrest and violence from prison, using social media for “digital terrorism” to spread instability and intimidate the state.
The letter also points to the alleged role of exiled Pakistani elements based in the US and UK in Khan’s negative campaign, forcing the US and UK governments to take extraordinary measures against their own citizens.
The Pakistani parliamentarians urged Prime Minister Sharif to inform the US Congress members of these concerns, emphasizing Pakistan’s commitment to addressing its internal challenges without external interference.
The letter underscores the Pakistani government’s view that the matter is an internal affair and rejects any external pressure to influence its judicial processes.
