ISLAMABAD: In a direct response to recent US intervention, over 100 Pakistani lawmakers have written to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, voicing their concerns about a letter from US Congress members to President Joe Biden that called for the release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.
“We are writing to express our concerns about the unwarranted and inaccurate commentary on Pakistan’s internal politics by 62 Members of the US House of Representatives,” the letter states, describing the US lawmakers’ position as a “skewed view of realities.”
Signed by 160 Pakistani parliamentarians, including senior leaders from major political parties, the letter argues that the appeal made by US lawmakers to President Biden constitutes “external interference” and disproportionately favors a single political narrative, overshadowing Pakistan’s institutions and other political voices.
The Pakistani lawmakers’ response follows a letter in which US representatives urged President Biden to use “substantial leverage with Pakistan’s government” to secure the release of political prisoners, including former Prime Minister Khan.
The US lawmakers also requested that embassy officials be permitted to visit Khan, who has been imprisoned in Adiala Jail for more than a year.
This is not the first clash between Islamabad and Washington legislators. In June, US lawmakers passed “House Resolution 901” by a large majority, urging an impartial probe into alleged irregularities during Pakistan’s February 8 general elections.
In response, Pakistani lawmakers quickly condemned the US resolution as “contrary to facts” and “interference” in Pakistan’s domestic matters.
After this latest letter from Washington, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch criticized it as “contrary to inter-state conduct and diplomatic norms.” Meanwhile, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller stated on Wednesday that Khan’s imprisonment is a matter for Pakistan’s courts to decide.
