Nearly two dozen UK Members of Parliament have called for the immediate release of Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, who is currently imprisoned in Adiala Jail along with his wife, Bushra Bibi.
This demand was voiced at a hearing today in the House of Lords’ Committee Room, focusing on the erosion of democratic norms in Pakistan and the “illegal incarceration” of the former prime minister. The hearing was organized by Labour MP for Bradford West Naz Shah and Conservative Peer Lord Hannan of Kingsclere.
Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, who was appointed Imran Khan’s International Affairs Adviser today, PTI candidate in the 2024 Pakistani general election Meher Bano Qureshi, and Sarwar Bari, founder of Pattan Development, were guest speakers.
Over 22 parliamentarians from all major parties attended the hearing, including former Leader of the Conservative Party and Cabinet Minister Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, former Home Secretary Priti Patel MP, former Security Minister Baroness Neville-Jones, former Minister of State in the Foreign Office Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, and former Conservative Party Chairwoman and Foreign Office Minister Baroness Warsi. Newly elected independent MPs Shockat Adam, Barrister Ayoub Khan, Iqbal Mohammad, and Labour’s Naushabah Khan were also present.
PTI UK’s leader Jahanzeb Khan and four other office bearers were also in attendance.
The hearing concluded with a resolution for parliamentarians to urge Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer MP and the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy MP to take note of the recent United Nations report on Imran Khan’s incarceration, demand his immediate release, and support the return of democracy to Pakistan.
Lord Hannan, Zulfi Bukhari, Naz Shah MP, and Meher Bano Qureshi, along with other MPs, participated in the “democracy in crisis” hearing on Pakistan. Bukhari spoke for ten minutes, detailing the events since Khan’s removal from power in April 2022. He claimed that the February 2023 elections were massively rigged and expressed concerns that Khan might be tried in military courts.
Bukhari stated, “Pakistanis deserve the right to self-determination. The current government of Pakistan is illegitimate, and the world needs to be aware of the atrocities committed by the government against freedom and democracy over the past two years. I welcome that leading parliamentarians from the UK are now calling for the return of democratic norms in Pakistan.”
He also mentioned that PTI’s former social media lead Azhar Mashwani was supposed to attend the meeting as a “victim” of the state, but he received a threatening call from his abducted brother’s phone, warning him that other family members would be taken if he joined the meeting. Bukhari alleged that hundreds of PTI workers remain abducted and missing.
Meher Bano spoke for nearly 17 minutes, describing the difficulties faced by PTI candidates in the general elections. She expressed disappointment at the lack of support from Western democracies for democracy in Pakistan, stating, “We all just want to be free. Free to choose what political party we support, free to choose what political party we contest the elections from, and free to elect our representatives. We want our voices to be heard and our votes to be counted.”
She claimed the last general elections were a farce and that her father, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the former foreign minister, was being punished for supporting Imran Khan. She argued that the cipher case against Khan and Qureshi was intended to intimidate them into submission.
Lord Hannan of Kingsclere remarked, “As friends of Pakistan and friends of Pakistani democracy, we want to see that country prosper. We want to see the UN’s recommendations implemented, including an end to the detention of Imran Khan and a timetable for free and inclusive elections. We will continue to press for democracy on a cross-party basis, and in both parliamentary chambers. And we will link up with parliamentarians in other friendly countries to make the case internationally.”
Naz Shah emphasized that the hearing was a “pro-Pakistan” event. She regretted that some people had perceived it as “an event against Pakistan.” Shah explained her involvement as being the voice for a significant section of Pakistanis who wanted Khan’s release and an end to political incriminations.
She stated, “Important dialogue was held in parliament today in relation to democracy in Pakistan. As someone with a large Pakistani constituency and as an MP of Pakistani heritage, I want to see Pakistan succeed; particularly democracy in Pakistan, as well as freedom of the press, and justice. The UN report into the incarceration of Imran Khan should be of great concern to all of us. We cannot shy away from it, and we must continue to work across parliament to ensure progress is made for Pakistan.”
Shah reiterated her commitment to media freedoms and human rights, stating, “I did so under Imran Khan’s government. I have always spoken for Pakistan, on the issue of Kashmir and Gaza, and I will continue doing that.”
