FO denounces Congressmen’s letter to Biden for Imran Khan’s release ‘a futile exercise’

• Such correspondence holds no importance, says FO spox.
• The contention referred in letter is just misplaced: FO.
• Baloch says US admin is busy in transition of the power.
  

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office has called the letter from US congressmen to outgoing President Joe Biden — demanding the release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan — a blatant interference in Pakistan’s domestic affairs, describing it as a futile exercise.

Several US lawmakers urged President Biden to advocate for the immediate release of the incarcerated former prime minister and all other political prisoners in the country, ensuring their safety in accordance with the findings of the UN Working Group report. This letter marks the second such communication within a month.

A similar letter highlighting alleged human rights violations in Pakistan was submitted to the US president in October.

In response to the congressmen’s latest letter, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch noted that the US administration is currently in a transitional phase following the recent presidential elections. She suggested that such communications were unlikely to be taken seriously by US authorities.

“We simply disregard the content of the letter written by a few members of the US Congress to the outgoing president, as the issues raised in it are misplaced,” Baloch said. “It appears to be an exercise in futility.”

Regarding the resolution, Baloch stated that it reflected a misunderstanding of Pakistan’s political system and electoral process.

On Friday, 46 members of the US House of Representatives urged President Biden to take action on the provisions of resolution H. Res. 901, which was passed by the U.S. House with overwhelming support in June.

In response, Pakistan denounced the resolution, stating that it “stems from an incomplete understanding of the political situation and electoral process in Pakistan.”

The PTI, in a post shared on its official X handle on Saturday, said: “46 members of the US House of Representatives, from both the Republican and Democratic parties, have written a letter to President Joe Biden calling for urgent action on the release of Imran Khan.”

The letter, led by Susan Wild and John James, also criticised US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome, accusing him of failing to “incorporate the concerns of the Pakistani-American community” into his work, particularly by not advocating effectively for the release of political prisoners, the restoration of human rights, or the respect of democratic principles.

Referring to the provisions of H. Res. 901, the lawmakers expressed concern that the legislation, which brought Democrats and Republicans together, highlights escalating human rights violations and the erosion of civil liberties in Pakistan following the “flawed” February 2024 elections.

“These elections were characterised by widespread irregularities, electoral fraud, and state-led suppression of the country’s leading party, PTI—especially the disenfranchisement of the party in the run-up to the vote, as well as the reversal of precinct-level results, which showed an overwhelming victory for PTI-affiliated independent candidates,” the letter states.

Since the elections, the situation has worsened, with “rampant curbs” on civil liberties, particularly freedom of expression, the lawmakers noted.

The letter also expressed concern over the “use of mass arrests, arbitrary detention, and the implementation of a de facto firewall against social media platforms,” along with reports of efforts to slow down internet access speeds.

A key point of concern for the lawmakers was the unlawful detention of former prime minister Imran Khan, who has been incarcerated since August of the previous year on multiple charges ranging from corruption to terrorism. He is “widely perceived to be Pakistan’s most popular political figure.”

Many PTI activists, including senior party leaders such as Yasmin Rashid and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, have been detained for over a year, the lawmakers added.

In light of these developments, the lawmakers called for a change in the approach taken by the US Embassy in Islamabad. 

They expressed disappointment that they were unaware of any efforts by the embassy to incorporate the concerns of the Pakistani-American community, including advocating for the release of political prisoners, the restoration of human rights, or respect for democratic principles.

Last month, 60 members of the US House of Representatives also wrote a letter to President Biden, urging him to use Washington’s leverage with Islamabad to secure Khan’s release.

In that letter, Democratic lawmakers had called on President Biden to prioritise human rights in US policy toward Pakistan.