Why UK MPs want government to help release Imran Khan
Twenty British parliamentarians have called upon the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary, David Lammy MP, to intervene for the release of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan from Adiala Jail. The plea was started by Kim Johnson, MP for Liverpool Riverside, after Khan's adviser on International Affairs, Zulfi Bukhari, requested it. The signatories include members from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
Parliamentarians express 'grave concern' over Khan's detention
The letter expressed "grave concern" over Khan's continued detention since 2023. It cited a United Nations Working Group finding that his imprisonment had no legal basis and seemed politically motivated to disqualify him from future elections. It mentioned Amnesty International's review that highlighted a "pattern of weaponisation of the legal system" against Khan. The parliamentarians noted that Khan was denied adequate time and resources to prepare his defense in at least three trials.
Khan's detention poses 'grave threat to democracy': UK MPs
They warned that his detention poses a "grave threat to democracy" in Pakistan. Speculating that Khan might face a military court trial, which they described as an "illegal escalation," the letter criticized the misuse of Pakistan's justice system to target political opposition leaders. It also mentioned the recently passed 26th Constitutional Amendment in Pakistan as an attack on judicial independence by removing certain powers from the Supreme Court.
UK MPs highlight crackdowns on Khan's party, PTI
The letter also drew attention to recent crackdowns on Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including the arrests of parliamentarians and activists. Although PTI supporters were granted permission for a rally in Islamabad, they were arrested under a new Public Order Act. The parliamentarians ended by calling for immediate action for Khan's release from pre-trial detention. They stressed the UK's responsibility to uphold human rights and democracy worldwide and urged Lammy to speak to Pakistani authorities for Khan's safe release.
