Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has accused Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of seeking assistance from foreign powers to have party leader Imran Khan released from prison and sent abroad.
“They are urging foreign powers to pressure Pakistan for Imran Khan’s release and relocation to another country,” Asif said in an interview with a private news channel on Tuesday.
The minister claimed that these countries are reportedly “ready” to offer Khan refuge, who has been imprisoned in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail since August 2023 following his conviction in the Toshakhana case and other legal challenges. Imran Khan has repeatedly denied all charges against him.
When asked if these countries were from Europe or the United States, Asif refrained from providing specific details, jokingly stating that he was “weak in geography.”
The remarks come just over a week after a group of 20 British MPs, from across the political spectrum, sent a letter to UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, urging the British government to advocate for Khan’s release. The letter, initiated by Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson at the request of Khan’s international affairs adviser, Zulfi Bukhari, was signed by members from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
In addition, more than 60 members of the US House of Representatives wrote to President Joe Biden, calling on him to use America’s influence to secure the release of the former prime minister. The bipartisan letter emphasized the importance of prioritizing human rights in US policy toward Pakistan and also requested that US embassy officials visit Khan in Adiala Jail.
Since his imprisonment, Imran Khan’s legal team and supporters have maintained that the charges against him are politically motivated, citing his vocal criticism of the ruling government and military establishment.
