More than 20 UK parliamentarians have called for immediate release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf incarcerated founder Imran Khan.
MPs wrote to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, urging him to engage with Pakistan’s government for immediate release of Khan.
MP Kim Johnson made this appeal at the request of Imran Khan’s advisor, Zulfi Bukhari. This letter was signed by both MPs and Lords, including Kim Johnson, Paula Barker, Apsana Begum, and others.
The letter focused on the concerns about Mr. Khan’s detention, calling it politically motivated. They fear the aim is to disqualify him from elections.
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has declared the imprisonment of Imran unfair. They noted Khan was denied time and resources for defense in several trials.
The letter also mentioned the growing misuse of Pakistan’s judiciary to target opposition. They urged Lammy to push for Khan’s release.
The parliamentarians are also worried that Khan’s case could go to a military court. Amnesty International has flagged legal actions against Khan as a method to silence him.
Parliamentarians also criticized recent anti-democratic actions against PTI members and supporters.
