WASHINGTON: The United States has called on Pakistani authorities to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right of PTI protesters to demonstrate peacefully.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller made the appeal on Tuesday.
As PTI convoys from various parts of Pakistan make their way to Islamabad to demand the release of their incarcerated founder, Imran Khan, the federal government has vowed to prevent them from reaching D-Chowk, their intended destination in the capital.
Containers and barbed wire have been strategically placed to block the movement of PTI supporters, and heavy police deployments indicate the authorities’ readiness to use force if necessary.
In a State Department briefing earlier on Tuesday, Miller was asked to comment on the PTI supporters’ protest and their reported clashes with the police. “In Pakistan and around the world, we support freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association,” the spokesperson said.
“We call on protesters to demonstrate peacefully and refrain from violence, and at the same time, we urge Pakistani authorities to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, ensuring adherence to Pakistan’s laws and constitution while maintaining law and order.”
This statement follows a government crackdown on PTI’s ‘do or die’ protest in the federal capital. Originally scheduled for November 24, the protest was delayed as PTI leaders said they were in “no hurry” to reach Islamabad. Despite arrests, baton charges, and tear gas, supporters from across the country continued to defy authorities in a bid to join the demonstration.
Amid the movement of PTI convoys, the Punjab government and police reported that a constable was killed by “miscreants” at the Hakla interchange.
Last week, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruled that PTI’s planned protest was unlawful, directing the federal government to take all necessary measures to maintain law and order in Islamabad without disrupting public life—especially with the arrival of the Belarusian president for a three-day official visit.
