Demand for Khan’s release is seen as a move to put international pressure on the Pakistani government to release him.
London(Mudassar Iqbal/Webdesk);UK Parliamentarians Demand Imran Khan’s Release, Nearly two dozen UK parliamentarians have called for the immediate release of Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, who is currently detained in Adiala jail along with his wife Bushra Bibi,
22 parliamentarians from all major parties, including the former Leader of the Conservative Party and Cabinet Minister Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, the former Home Secretary Priti Patel MP, former Security Minister Baroness Neville-Jones, former Minister of State in the Foreign Office Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon and former Conservative Party Chairwoman and Foreign Office Minister Baroness Warsi. Newly elected independent MPs Shockat Adam, Barrister Ayoub Khan, Iqbal Mohammad and Labour’s Naushabah Khan were also in attendance.
Reason for Detention: Khan’s detention has been deemed “arbitrary” and “politically motivated” by a UN human rights panel, which has also demanded his release ⁴.
UK Parliamentarians’ Concerns: The UK parliamentarians have expressed concerns over the erosion of democratic norms in Pakistan and the “illegal incarceration” of the former prime minister.
UN Report: The UN report into Khan’s incarceration has been cited by the UK parliamentarians as a reason for their demand for his release .
International Pressure: The demand for Khan’s release by the UK parliamentarians is seen as a move to put international pressure on the Pakistani government to release him.
–Khan’s Party: Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has welcomed the demand for his release by the UK parliamentarians and has called for international pressure to be maintained on the Pakistani government,
The demand for Khan’s release was made at a hearing today in the House of Lord’s Committee Room about the erosion of democratic norms in Pakistan and the “illegal incarceration” of the former prime minister. The hearing was jointly convened by Labour MP for Bradford West Naz Shah, and Conservative Peer Lord Hannan of Kingsclere.
Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, who was appointed Imran Khan’s International Affairs Adviser today, and PTI candidate in the 2024 Pakistani general election Meher Bano Qureshi were guest speakers, as was Sarwar Bari, founder of Pattan Development.
Zulfiqar Bukhari Named PTI Advisor on International Affairs
Bukhari tell what has happened since the removal of Khan from power in April 2022. He alleged that this year’s February elections were massively rigged and that there are fears Khan may be tried in the military courts.
He said: “Pakistanis deserve the right to self-determination. The current government of Pakistan is illegitimate and the world needs to be aware of the atrocities committed by the government of Pakistan against freedom and democracy over the past two years. I welcome that leading parliamentarians from the UK are now calling for the return of democratic norms in Pakistan.”
He told the meeting that PTI’s former social media lead Azhar Mashwani was also set to attend the meeting as a “victim” of the state but he received a call from his abducted brother’s phone, warning him that his other family members will be taken away too if he joined the meeting. He alleged that hundreds of PTI workers remain abducted and missing.
Meher Bano said: “It has been disappointing [to see] the eerie silence from Western democracies, we would have expected they would stand up for democracy in Pakistan. It is wonderful to have these platitudes about being resilient and brave. I don’t want to be resilient or brave, nor do the people of Pakistan, we all just want to be free. Free to choose what political party we support, free to choose what political party we contest the elections from, and free to our representatives. We want our voices to be heard and our votes to be counted.
Naz said the hearing on Pakistan was a “pro-Pakistan” event. She regretted that some people had called it “an event against Pakistan”. She said that she decided to get involved in the event to become the voice of a significant section of Pakistanis who wanted Khan’s release and wanted an end to all kinds of political incriminations.
Lord Hannan of Kingsclere said: “As friends of Pakistan and friends of Pakistani democracy, we want to see that country prosper. We want to see the UN’s recommendations implemented, including an end to the detention of Imran Khan and a timetable for free and inclusive elections. We will continue to press for democracy on a cross-party basis, and in both parliamentary chambers. And we will link up with parliamentarians in other friendly countries to make the case internationally.
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