Congressmen urge top US diplomat to get Imran freed

WASHINGTON: Terming incarcerated prime minister Imran Khan a victim of “judicial abuse”, two US Congressmen — Joe Wilson and August Pfluger — urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to engage with Pakistan to free the PTI founder, it emerged on Thursday.

It was not the first time that Wilson advocated for Khan’s release. In the recent past, he made several posts on his X account calling for Khan’s release. Earlier this month, Republican Congressman Wilson asked President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir to release Khan. In their latest letter to the secretary of state, the duo stated: “You recall that Imran Khan was prime minister in your first term, and you both shared a strong relationship. He is widely beloved in Pakistan, and his release would usher in a new era of US-Pakistan relations with freedom values at its core.

“Former PM Khan has been the victim of massive judicial abuse, not unlike President Trump.”

They urged the top US diplomat to work with Pakistan to “restore democracy, and respect for the fundamental guarantees of due process, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly and freedom of speech” for the people of Pakistan. They asserted that the imprisoned premier deserves to be treated as any other politician would be.

In another letter addressed to Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership earlier this month, Wilson said Khan’s release “would be a major step towards strengthening US-Pakistan relations”.

Wilson, who represents South Carolina’s 2nd congressional district and serves as assistant majority whip, made the appeal public on February 7, posting the letter on X.

Underscoring his push for the former premier’s release, he added: “I will also be engaging the Trump administration on this issue. US-Pakistan relations are strongest when Pakistan is democratic. Free Imran Khan”.