ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson on Thursday criticized a letter written by over 60 Democratic lawmakers from the US House of Representatives urging President Joe Biden to secure the release of political prisoners, including former prime minister Imran Khan, as “counterproductive” and not in line with “positive dynamics” of ties between the two states.
Khan has faced a slew of charges since the downfall of his administration in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022, with authorities trying him on charges ranging from treason to corruption and contracting an illegal marriage. The ex-premier and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party have maintained that all charges against him are fabricated to keep him out of national politics.
US Representatives Greg Casar, Jim McGovern and Summer Lee, along with 59 other Members of Congress, urged President Biden to take stock of the situation in Pakistan, calling for human rights to be the central pillar of American policy toward the country.
In the letter, the American lawmakers urged Biden to exercise Washington’s “substantial leverage” with Pakistan’s government to secure the release of political prisoners including former prime minister Khan and curtail “widespread human rights abuses.”
“Comments on Pakistan’s domestic affairs are contrary to interstate conduct,” Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson, said at a weekly news briefing. “We believe such letters and statements are counterproductive and not in line with positive dynamics of Pakistan-US bilateral relations.”
She said the letters were based on an “incorrect understanding” of Pakistan’s political situation, hoping that the American Congress would play a supportive role in strengthening Islamabad-Washington relations and focus on mutual collaboration that benefits both countries.
“Pakistan values its bilateral relations with the United States,” Baloch said. “We believe in constructive dialogue and engagement to address any concern.”
‘HISTORIC LEVEL OF IRREGULARITIES’
The US lawmakers also criticized the February general election in Pakistan, saying they had witnessed “a historic level of irregularities” and set the country on a path toward “authoritarianism.”
“The government has intensified its crackdown on social media and the Internet as part of a broader effort to suppress political activism, which it deems to be ‘anti-state propaganda’ and ‘digital terrorism,’” said the letter.
“These repressive measures are not only an attack on fundamental human rights, but they also damage Pakistan’s growing IT industry and further weaken the economy, with one industry group estimating that it could cost the sector $300 million,” it added.
US Representative Casar, who spearheaded the initiative to write the letter, said it marked the first such collective call from multiple members of the US Congress for the release of Khan, who had had testy relations with Washington as a long-standing critic of US foreign policy.
The American lawmakers also asked the Biden administration to secure guarantees from Pakistan for Khan’s safety and urge US embassy officials to visit him in prison.
Pakistan says US lawmakers’ letter calling for ex-PM Khan’s release ‘counterproductive’
https://arab.news/byvya
Pakistan says US lawmakers’ letter calling for ex-PM Khan’s release ‘counterproductive’
- Sixty Democratic members of Congress urge US president to make human rights central to Pakistan policy
- They ask the US government to ensure Khan’s safety in prison, send embassy officials to meet him in jail
Pakistan offers Kyrgyzstan Arabian Sea access as two states sign 15 cooperation accords
- Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan sign MOUs spanning trade, energy, agriculture, ports, education, security cooperation
- Kyrgyz president is on first visit to Pakistan in 20 years as both sides push connectivity and CASA-1000 power links
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday offered Kyrgyzstan the shortest and most economical route to the Arabian Sea as the two countries signed 15 agreements and memoranda of understanding aimed at boosting cooperation across trade, energy, agriculture, education, customs data-sharing and port logistics.
The accords were signed during a visit to Islamabad by President Sadyr Zhaparov, the first by a Kyrgyz head of state to Pakistan in two decades, and part of Islamabad’s renewed push to link South Asia with landlocked Central Asian economies through ports, power corridors and transport routes.
For Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan offers access to hydropower through CASA-1000, a $1.2 billion regional electricity transmission project designed to carry surplus summer electricity from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan through Afghanistan into Pakistan. For Bishkek, Pakistan provides overland access to warm-water ports on the Arabian Sea, creating a shorter commercial route to global markets.
“President Asif Ali Zardari has reiterated Pakistan’s readiness to offer Kyrgyzstan the shortest and most economical route to the Arabian Sea,” Radio Pakistan reported after Zhaparov met the Pakistani president.
The two leaders also discussed expanding direct flights to deepen business, tourism and people-to-people ties.
Zardari welcomed Kyrgyzstan’s completion of its segment of the CASA-1000 project and “reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to completing its part of the project, which is now at an advanced stage,” the state broadcaster said.
Zhaparov thanked Islamabad for supporting Bishkek’s candidacy for a non-permanent UN Security Council seat and invited Zardari to visit Kyrgyzstan at a time of his convenience. Both sides expressed satisfaction with progress under the Quadrilateral Traffic in Transit Agreement, designed to facilitate road movement between Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and China.
Earlier, both governments exchanged 15 sectoral cooperation documents covering commerce, mining, geosciences, power, agriculture, youth programs, the exchange of convicted persons, customs electronic data systems and a sister-city linkage between Islamabad and Bishkek.
According to APP, the MOUs were signed by ministers representing foreign affairs, commerce, economy, energy, power, railways, interior, culture, health and tourism. Agreements also covered cooperation between Pakistan’s Foreign Service Academy and the Diplomatic Academy of Kyrgyzstan, as well as collaboration between universities, youth ministries and cultural institutions.
“Our present mutual trade, comprising of about $15–16 million will be enhanced to $200 million in the next two years,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said after the agreements were signed, calling them “a framework for structured, result-oriented engagement and closer institutional linkages.”
Sharif said Pakistan was ready to serve as a maritime outlet for the landlocked Central Asian republic, offering access to Karachi, Port Qasim and Gwadar to help Kyrgyz goods reach regional and global markets.
