British MPs Urge Foreign Secretary's Intervention in Imran Khan's Detention

Twenty British parliamentarians have urged UK's Foreign Secretary David Lammy to facilitate the release of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan from Adiala Jail. The MPs, representing both the Commons and Lords, express concerns over Khan's detainment, deemed legally baseless, threatening democracy in Pakistan.

British parliamentarians have called upon the UK's Foreign Secretary, David Lammy MP, to step in on the issue of Imran Khan's detention, urging engagement with the Pakistan government for his release from Adiala Jail, as reported by Geo.

A group of 20 parliamentarians, comprising members from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, signed a letter authored by Kim Johnson, MP for Liverpool Riverside. This letter was drafted following a request by Imran Khan's adviser on International Affairs, Zulfi Bukhari.

The letter, signed by notable MPs and Lords including Kim Johnson, Paula Barker, Apsana Begum, and Lord Peter Hain, expresses serious concern over the prolonged imprisonment of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, which the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found to lack any legal basis and purportedly aimed to prevent his re-entry into politics.

Amnesty International's assessment of Khan's case underlines a concerning pattern where the legal system is allegedly being used to keep him detained and ostracized from political activity. According to the letter, Khan was deprived of sufficient time and resources to properly prepare for his defense in several trials, reflecting an evident misuse of the justice process in Pakistan to intimidate political opposition and undermine judicial independence.

The recently enacted 26th Constitutional Amendment, diminishing the Supreme Court's powers, is noted to threaten the separation of powers. Additionally, the authorities' recent use of the new Public Order Act to suppress Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Party, which has led to arrests of its members despite authorized gatherings, further heightens these anti-democratic actions.

The letter calls for Khan's immediate release and urges the UK Foreign Secretary to advocate for human rights and democracy by engaging with the Pakistani government. It emphasizes that the UK's commitment to international law should drive efforts for Khan's safe release, setting a much-needed precedent for democratic norms globally. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)