- Letter written by Kim Johnson at the request of PTI’s Zulfi Bukhari.
- “Khan’s arrest represents a serious threat to democracy.”
- Lawmakers express concerns about constitutional amendment.
LONDON: As many as 20 British parliamentarians from across parties have urged British Foreign Secretary David Lammy to call for the release of Imran Khan from Adiala prison and reach out to the Pakistani government.
The letter was written by Kim Johnson, MP for Liverpool Riverside, at the request of Imran Khan’s international affairs advisor, Zulfi Bukhari, and signed by members of both the Houses of Commons and the Lords, from all parties.
The signatories are: Kim Johnson MP, Paula Parker, Upsana Begum, Liam Byrne, Rosie Duffield, Jill Furness, Paulette Hamilton, Peter Lamb, Andy McDonald, Ibtisam Mohammed, Bill Ribeiro-Addy. Zara Sultana MP, Steve Witherden MP, Nadia Whitomi MP, Baroness Joan Bakewell, Baroness Christine Blower, Lord Peter Hain, Lord John Hendy and Lord Todoinville.
“We write with deep concern about the continued detention of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. As you are aware, Mr Khan was imprisoned in 2023 in a move that the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found had no legal basis,” the letter said. “It appears to be intended to prevent him from running for political office, and therefore this prosecution was not based on the law from the beginning and was reportedly used for political purposes.”
The letter to Lammy said: “As a result, Mr Khan’s continued detention represents a serious threat to the country’s democracy. Indeed, there has been speculation that his fate is likely to be decided by a military court, which represents a worrying and wholly unlawful escalation.” Speaking to Mr Khan’s case, Amnesty International found that there was a “pattern of the legal system being used as a weapon to keep Imran Khan in detention and away from all political activity”.
They also noted that in at least three trials, Khan was not given adequate time and facilities to prepare his defence. It has become clear that the number of cases against the now-jailed PTI founder “is consistent with a pattern of abuse of Pakistan’s judicial system to intimidate, harass and target political opposition leaders – while violating the independence of the judiciary.” .
She also said the recently passed 26th Constitutional Amendment would take powers, such as banning political parties or handling cases involving the federal and provincial governments, away from the Supreme Court. “This would constitute an attack on the principle of separation of powers stipulated in the country’s constitution.”
He adds: “Meanwhile, in recent weeks, there have been further anti-democratic crackdowns on Mr Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which has seen the arrest of prominent parliamentarians and activists. Despite having prior permission to organize a rally in Islamabad, it appears The Pakistani authorities unfairly relied on the new public order law to arrest PTI supporters.
“Parliamentarians in this House will agree that the political precedent this sets is dangerous. As such, Mr Khan must be immediately released from pre-trial detention. As a nation, we have a duty to defend human, democratic and international rights. The law is everywhere, so we urge you to Make representations to the Pakistani government to ensure Mr. Khan’s safe release.