Pakistani MPs declare 62 US Congressmen’s letter about Imran Khan as 'interference' in internal affairs

As many as 160 Pakistani members of parliament have written a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressing reservations about the epistle which 62 US Congressmen have sent to President Joe Biden calling for release of PTI founder Imran Khan, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday

Declaring the US Congressmen’s letter as “interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs”, the Pakistani lawmakers have expressed serious concerns over the move keeping in view the PTI’s narrative and its campaign to discredit state institutions.

The MPs said it is their duty as parliamentarians to inform Congress members, through the Prime Minister, that Pakistan is facing democratic challenges, which have become more complex due to extremist political tactics.

In the text of the letter, the parliamentarians stated that the PTI founder [Imran Khan] introduced political violence and issued criminal threats against state institutions.

They mentioned that on May 9, 2023, the PTI founder was involved in inciting riots and vandalism, even encouraging mobs to attack Parliament, the State Television Building, and Radio Pakistan.

The PTI founder, they said, had previously paralysed the country with disruptive politics in August 2014 and May 2022. The PTI founder has continued to incite unrest and violence from jail in Islamabad and Lahore and has used digital terrorism on social media to promote chaos, unrest, and threats against the state.

According to the letter, elements based in the US and the UK are also playing a role in the PTI founder’s negative campaign, forcing these countries to take extraordinary measures against their own citizens.

In the letter, the parliamentarians mentioned that America monitors communications under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and that the Military Commissions Act of 2006 allows for prosecution under certain conditions.

The letter further stated that the views of the US Congress members about the upcoming February 2024 general elections are incorrect, as these elections have been recognised internationally as free and fair.

They added that PTI has been trying to discredit the election process whenever it doesn’t succeed, as it did in the 2008 and 2013 elections.

The parliamentarians also highlighted in the letter that the PTI founder’s apologetic narrative about the Taliban, his views on gender, his disrespect towards parliamentary democracy, and his disregard for diplomatic principles reflect his character.

The parliamentarians expressed surprise that American members of Congress would support someone who has been found in a Los Angeles court to have denied paternity to his daughter and who remains a fugitive from that same court.

The letter from the parliament further noted that the PTI founder is currently serving jail time for proven corruption charges, stating that Congress members’ comments on these ongoing cases could influence the judicial process.

The letter also mentioned that Oxford University dropped the PTI founder’s candidature due to his criminal record.

The parliamentarians said, “Political parties in Pakistan lobby for support from all groups, and comments like these about Pakistani politics are seen as interference and unfounded.”

They also commented on the unprecedented level of political activism in the US but stated it is unacceptable to involve other countries in electoral matters to satisfy a particular group of voters.

The parliamentarians concluded that the PTI founder created the most serious crisis in recent history for Pakistan-US relations and similarly misused diplomatic channels for political gain.

Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Naveed Qamar, Mustafa Kamal, Asiya Naz Tanoli, and Khalid Magsi are among the signatories of the letter.

About a week ago, 62 US Congressmen have called on President Biden to advocate for the release of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan and other political prisoners.

In their letter, the Congressmen including prominent Muslim members Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib urged the Biden administration to seek assurances from Pakistani authorities regarding the PTI founder Imran Khan’s safety.

They also requested that US diplomats to visit the PTI leader in prison and emphasized that the US policy should focus on human rights conditions in Pakistan.

Imran Khan has been in jail since August 2023 and has faced dozens of cases since he was removed as prime minister in 2022 after which he launched a protest movement against a coalition of his rivals led by current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Reporter: Ahmed Mansoor