LONDON: A group of 20 British parliamentarians from across the political spectrum has called on UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy to advocate for the release of Imran Khan from Adiala Jail and to engage with the Pakistani government.
The letter, initiated by Kim Johnson, MP for Liverpool Riverside, was sent at the request of Khan’s adviser on International Affairs, Zulfi Bukhari. It has been signed by members from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
The signatories include Kim Johnson MP, Paula Barker MP, Apsana Begum MP, Liam Byrne MP, Rosie Duffield MP, Gill Furniss MP, Paulette Hamilton MP, Peter Lamb MP, Andy McDonald MP, Abtisam Mohamed MP, Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP, Zarah Sultana MP, Steve Witherden MP, Nadia Whittome MP, Baroness Joan Bakewell, Baroness Christine Blower, Lord Peter Hain, Lord John Hendy, and Lord Todoanfel.
In their letter, the MPs expressed serious concerns over Khan’s continued detention, citing a 2023 imprisonment deemed to lack legal basis by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. They believe the prosecution aimed to disqualify Khan from political office, thus representing a significant threat to democracy in Pakistan.
The letter warned that Khan’s fate might be decided by a military court, a move they characterized as a troubling escalation. A recent Amnesty International review highlighted a troubling pattern of legal manipulation aimed at keeping Khan from political activity, noting that he has been denied adequate time and resources to prepare his defense in multiple trials.
Furthermore, the MPs criticized the recently passed 26th Constitutional Amendment, which strips the Supreme Court of powers related to banning political parties and handling cases involving federal and provincial governments, viewing this as a direct assault on the separation of powers enshrined in Pakistan’s Constitution.
The letter also pointed to recent anti-democratic actions against Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Party, including the arrest of parliamentarians and activists, and the unfair use of a new Public Order Act against PTI supporters at a sanctioned rally.
The parliamentarians concluded that the situation poses a dangerous political precedent and demanded Khan’s immediate release from pre-trial detention, urging Lammy to take action to secure his safe release in defense of human rights, democracy, and international law.
