Pakistani Courts to Decide Imran Khan’s Legal Action, Says US State Department”

Washington-The US State Department has clarified that the decision on legal action against former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan rests with the Pakistani courts. This statement comes in response to demands from American lawmakers and former US envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad for Khan’s release ¹.

Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has been imprisoned since August last year due to his conviction in the Toshakhana criminal case and subsequent sentencing in other cases ahead of the February 8 elections. He denies all allegations.

Members of the United States House of Representatives, from both the Republican and Democratic parties, have repeatedly urged outgoing President Joe Biden to advocate for the immediate release of Pakistan’s former prime minister and all other political prisoners in the country.

The US lawmakers have also expressed their disappointment over the “use of mass arrests, arbitrary detention, and the implementation of a de facto firewall against social media platforms, with reports of broader efforts to slow internet access speeds”.

In a statement to Geo News, the State Department said [it is considered] that the cases against the incarcerated politician would be in accordance with Pakistan’s constitution and laws.

However, the spokesperson stated, “The US continues to call for the rule of democratic principles, as well as constitutional and human rights in Pakistan.”

“Human rights are a significant part of US-Pakistan relations,” it said, adding: “We are in regular communication with Pakistani authorities on human rights and other key issues.”

Following Imran’s removal from prime minister office through a vote of no-confidence, the PTI founder had previously alleged that the US was behind his ouster in 2022, citing a purported diplomatic cipher linked with the US diplomat Donald Lu.