UK parliamentarians have called for the release of former Pakistani PM Imran Khan, who is currently jailed. Rumours on media platforms suggest that the UK has officially demanded his release, but it’s important to note that this does not reflect the official position of the UK government. The call for Khan’s release came during a hearing in the House of Lords Committee Room, which focused on the erosion of democratic norms in Pakistan and Khan’s “illegal incarceration.”
Labour MP Naz Shah and Conservative Peer Lord Hannan of Kingsclere organized the hearing. Notable speakers included Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, Imran Khan’s International Affairs Adviser; Meher Bano Qureshi, PTI candidate in the 2024 Pakistani general election; and Sarwar Bari, founder of Pattan Development. Over 22 UK parliamentarians from major parties attended, including Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Priti Patel, Baroness Neville-Jones, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, and Baroness Warsi. Newly elected independent MPs Shockat Adam, Barrister Ayoub Khan, Iqbal Mohammad, and Labour’s Naushabah Khan also participated. PTI UK’s leader, Jahanzeb Khan, and four other office bearers were present as well.
The hearing concluded with a resolution urging Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy to consider the recent United Nations report on Khan’s incarceration and advocate for his release and the restoration of democracy in Pakistan.
