“We continue to call for respect of democratic principles, human rights and rule of law in Pakistan”: US

The United States continues to call for the respect of democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law in Pakistan, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Wednesday (local time). 

Addressing a press briefing, Miller said, “I will just say that we continue to believe that these are matters for the Pakistani people to decide. Our bottom-line principle is that we continue to call for the respect of democratic principles, human rights, and the rule of law in Pakistan, as we do around the world.”

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller made the remarks in response to a question regarding former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest and cases registered against him. 

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was arrested last week in the Toshakhana case, has expressed his sadness about staying in jail and said that he doesn’t want to stay there, Pakistan-based Geo News reported.

While speaking to his lawyers in the Attock jail, Imran Khan said, “Take me out of here; I don’t want to remain in jail,” according to the officials. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan also stated that he remains holed up inside his prison cell in “distressing” conditions, as per the sources.

The jail authorities on Monday allowed Khan’s counsel Naeem Haider Panjotha to meet him, who after seeing the PTI chairman said that the former Pakistan PM was being kept in “distressing” conditions provided “C-Class jail facilities”.

Panjotha further that Imran Khan was in high morale despite all such difficulties and vowed to spend his lifetime in jail but wouldn’t bow to slavery, Geo News reported. However, the sources said that the PTI chairman, during the meeting with his lawyer, conveyed his concerns regarding the environment at the prison with flies taking over his cell during the day and insects at night.

On Saturday, Pakistan district and sessions court sentenced PTI chairman Imran Khan to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case i.e. for illegally selling state gifts and he has been disqualified from politics for a period of five years, local media reported. The court also imposed a fine of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 100,000 on Imran Khan, Geo News reported.

He was arrested from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore soon after being convicted in the Toshakhana case. During the hearing, presided by Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar, the trial court ruled that charges against Imran Khan in the case were proven, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.