Pakistan terms Congressmen’s letter to Biden for Imran Khan’s release as futile exercise

The Foreign Office has described the letter from 46 US congressmen to President Joe Biden — seeking the release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan — an interference in Pakistan’s domestic affairs.

Earlier, dozens of US lawmakers have called on President Biden to advocate for the immediate release of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan and all other political prisoners in the country.

They also urged to the ensure their safety in line with the findings of the UN Working Group report.

A similar letter highlighting alleged human rights violations in Pakistan was submitted to the US president in October.

In response to the US congressmen’s latest letter, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch noted that the US administration is currently in a transitional phase.

She said that such communications were unlikely to be taken seriously by US authorities.

The spokesperson further said that we simply disregard the matter of the letter written to the outgoing president, adding the issues raised in it are misplaced.

She said it appears to be an exercise in futility.

Baloch said it reflected a misunderstanding of Pakistan’s political system and electoral process.