- Minister asserts PTI leaders telling ‘foreign powers’ to influence Pakistan for the release of Imran Khan
- Says these countries also ready to welcome PTI founder after release, without naming any country
ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday claimed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is urging foreign powers to get party founder Imran Khan released and be sent abroad.
“They are telling the foreign powers to influence Pakistan towards releasing Imran Khan and send him to so-and-so country,” he said.
Speaking during an interview with a private news channel on Tuesday, the minister also claimed that these countries abroad are also “ready” to welcome the PTI founder — who remains incarcerated in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail since August 2023.
When asked if the countries are from Europe or whether is the United States, Asif dodged a response mentioning that he is “weak in geography”.
The PTI founder has been behind bars for more than a year after his conviction in the Toshakhana criminal case and subsequent sentencing in other cases ahead of the February 8 elections — allegations that he has continued to deny.
The minister’s remarks come over a week after as many as 20 British parliamentarians from cross-party have urged Member of Parliament and United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy to call for the former prime minister’s release from Adiala, asking the government to engage with Islamabad on the matter.
The letter was written by Kim Johnson, MP for Liverpool Riverside, on the request of Khan’s adviser on International Affairs Zulfi Bukhari. It was signed by members of both the Commons and the Lords, from all parties.
On the other hand, more than 60 members of the US House of Representatives also wrote a letter to President Joe Biden, calling on him to use Washington’s leverage with the Pakistani government for the release of the incarcerated founder.
In their letter, the Democratic lawmakers urged President Biden to prioritise human rights in US policy towards Pakistan.
“We write today to urge you to use the United States’ substantial leverage with Pakistan’s government to secure the release of political prisoners including former Prime Minister Khan and curtail widespread human rights abuses,” the lawmakers said.
The letter also made an appeal for US embassy officials to visit Imran, who is currently behind bars at Adiala jail.
