Member of the US Congress Joe Wilson called President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and the Chief of Staff of the Army Asim Munir to release the former Lutin Prime Imran Khan, arguing that his freedom would help strengthen American-Pakistani relations.
In a letter addressed to civil and military leaders in Pakistan, Wilson said that Khan’s liberation “would be a major step towards strengthening American-Pakistani relations”. The Republican of South Carolina, who serves as a deputy whip of the majority, made his public call on February 7, sharing the letter on X (formerly Twitter).
“Recognizing to send this letter today to Pakistan’s political and military leaders to release Imran Khan,” Wilson wrote.
Wilson, an ardent criticism of China, Iran and Russia, linked the state of democracy to Pakistan to the strength of American-Pakistan ties. He said that relations between the two countries have been the strongest when Pakistan adopts democratic ideals, law and human rights.
While putting pressure on the release of Khan, Wilson recognized his “many disagreements” with the PTI leader, in particular his support for the Chinese Communist Party and Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, he stressed that “democracy cannot work if political opponents are unfairly detained for politicized accusations rather than defeated in the polls.”
A few hours after the publication of his letter, Wilson took the question on the prosecution of the House of Representatives of the United States, reiterating his request to “liberate Imran Khan” in a speech.
He accused the Pakistani army of undermining democracy and said: “President Trump survived a corrupt judicial system and experienced the danger of persecution. Pakistan should release Imran Khan, restore democracy. »»
During his speech, images of North Korean, Iranian, Russian and Chinese leaders were posted on a poster next to him, strengthening his position as a Foreign policy criticizing authoritarian regimes.
Wilson’s statement has attracted wide support from PTI members and Khan’s supporters on social networks. However, criticisms and verifiers of the facts challenged its assertion that American-Pakistani relations thrive under democracy, stressing that, historically, American ties with Pakistan often strengthened during military regimes.
This is not the first time that Wilson has pleaded for the release of Khan. On January 23, he published “Imran Khan Libre” on X, signaling his continuous interest in the political landscape of Pakistan.
