State Department official reiterates urge to Pakistan to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms
The US State Department said the detention of former prime minister Imran Khan was Pakistan’s internal matter.
The statement was part of a wider discussion at a recent press conference where Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the State Department Vedant Patel spoke about various concerns regarding Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Patel referred to the UN Committee on Arbitrary Detention’s statement that Khan’s detention was unlawful and referred the statement to the UN for further clarification, stressing that the US would not be conducting any further assessment of the matter.
The United Nations Working Group on Human Rights yesterday stressed that the former prime minister’s detention was arbitrary and in violation of international law, and said the jailed politician should be released immediately.
They also claim that “widespread fraud took place on election day and dozens of seats were stolen.”
US urges Pakistan to uphold human rights
The ministry also reiterated its call on Pakistan to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression, freedom of association, peaceful assembly and freedom of religion.
“We call on the Pakistani government to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression, freedom of association, peaceful assembly and freedom of religion,” he said.
In response to a question about the credibility of Pakistan’s elections and allegations of large-scale election fraud, Patel said the Pakistan elections remain a focus for the United States.
“Yes, this is something that we have continuously raised with our Pakistani partners. It continues to be an area of focus for us.”
