WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department has declined to take a position on the arrest of Imran Khan, stating that it is Pakistan’s “internal matter”. Khan, the former prime minister and frequent critic of the U.S., was arrested in Lahore on Saturday after being sentenced to three years in prison for illegally selling state gifts. This verdict could potentially prevent Khan, the opposition leader from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, from participating in a national election later this year. Despite the charges, Khan maintains his innocence and claims that the government and the powerful military have fabricated the accusations against him.
In response to questions about whether Khan received a fair trial, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated, “We believe that is an internal matter for Pakistan.” He further added, “At times there are cases (around the world) that are so obviously unfounded that the United States believes it should say something about the matter. We have not made that determination here.”
While Khan previously alleged that his removal from office last year was backed by Washington and orchestrated by Pakistan’s top generals, both the U.S. and the military denied these claims. Experts have observed that the U.S. response to Khan’s legal troubles has been relatively muted compared to other cases involving opposition figures worldwide.
Khan has been a longstanding critic of U.S. foreign policy, particularly denouncing U.S. drone attacks in Pakistan’s border regions as extra-judicial killings and a violation of the country’s sovereignty. He also celebrated the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, viewing it as the breaking of “the chains of slavery” from U.S. forces.
Michael Kugelman, the director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center think-tank in Washington, believes that Khan’s past criticism has diminished his sympathy in the U.S. “I expect the U.S. to stay quiet,” Kugelman said. Despite being the most popular leader in Pakistan according to opinion polls, Khan’s arrests and the alleged abuse of power by the country’s forces have not prompted a strong U.S. stance against the crackdown.
Pakistan is no longer a top regional priority for the U.S. as it was during the war in neighboring Afghanistan. With this in mind, the Biden administration does not appear willing to extend any favors to Khan.
Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Humeyra Pamuk in Washington; Editing by Don Durfee and Alex Richardson
Credit: The Star : News Feed
