Pakistani Lawmakers Condemn U.S. Congressional Letter as Interference in Domestic Affairs

Members of Pakistan’s National Assembly have deemed a letter from U.S. Congress members as interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs.

The letter in question was sent by 62 U.S. Congress members to President Joe Biden, urging him to push for the release of PTI founder Imran Khan.

In response, 160 members of Pakistan’s Parliament have written a 16-page letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The letter’s signatories include Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Naveed Qamar, Mustafa Kamal, Asiya Naz Tanoli, Khalid Magsi, and others.

In the letter, parliamentarians expressed their view that, through the Prime Minister, U.S. Congress members should be informed that Pakistan is currently navigating democratic challenges, further complicated by extremist politics.

The letter highlighted that PTI’s founder introduced political violence and criminal threats against state institutions. It noted the incidents of May 9, 2023, when large-scale unrest and vandalism occurred, as crowds were incited to attack Parliament, the state television building, and Radio Pakistan.

Parliament members mentioned in the letter that PTI’s founder had previously paralyzed the country through disruptive politics in August 2014 and May 2022. Even from jail, he has continued to encourage unrest and violence in Islamabad and Lahore.

The letter also criticized PTI’s founder for using social media to incite chaos and instability, calling it “digital terrorism.” They alleged that Imran Khan used social media to threaten the state, fueling disorder and unrest.

Furthermore, the letter stated that anti-state campaigns by PTI’s founder were being supported by dissidents residing in the U.S. and the U.K., which are now compelled to take extraordinary measures against such individuals.