160 members of parliament ‘reject’ the letter from members of the US Congress

Pakistani lawmakers have firmly rejected the intervention of the US Congress in a 16-page letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Among the letter’s signatories are prominent figures such as Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, Naveed Qamar, Mustafa Kamal, Asia Naz Tanoli and Khalid Magsi. The members of parliament claim that Pakistan is facing democratic challenges exacerbated by extremist policies.

The letter accuses Imran Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, of inciting widespread violence and vandalism on 9 May 2023, including attacks on Parliament, state television and Radio Pakistan.

They also allege that Khan incited political violence and criminal threats against state institutions, citing similar instances in August 2014 and May 2022.

The MPs say Khan continues to incite unrest and violence from prison, using social media for ‘digital terrorism’ to spread instability and intimidate the state.

The letter also highlights the alleged role of exiled Pakistani elements based in the US and UK in Mr Khan’s negative campaign, which has forced the US and UK governments to take extraordinary measures against their own citizens.

The letter stresses that the Pakistani government considers this to be an internal matter and rejects any outside pressure to influence its judicial proceedings.