White House refuses to comment on Imran Khan's arrest, says Pakistanis have right to protest

Pakistan is undergoing major turmoil as former prime minister Imran Khan has opened up a front against the government and the Pakistani Army after he was arrested from the Islamabad High Court last week. Speaking on the developments, the United States on Monday refused to pick sides but said Pakistanis had the right to protest without violence.

US State Depart­ment spokesperson Ved­a­nt Patel during an afternoon news briefing stated that laws of the land should be respected while making any arrests.

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“First and foremost, our belief is that individuals should have the freedom to express themselves, but do so without participating in any violence, violence that would put government employees and government buildings in harm’s way,” the spokesperson said when asked about the violence that followed Khan's arrest.

When pressed about comments on Khan's arrest, the spokesperson toed a safe line and said the White House did “not have a position on one political party or one candidate or other”.

“Our view is, a strong, stable, and prosperous Pakistan is crucial to US-Pakistan relations. And that for any arrests that such a candidate is (granted) basic human rights in accordance with their laws,” he added.

The spokesperson was also asked about Khan's statement wherein he said the journalists in the country were being pressured to not tell the other side of the story.

“I am just not going to be prospective about the current situation. I don’t have an assessment to offer from here,” he said.

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Imran Khan's arrest

Notably, the cricketer-turned-politician was arrested last week by the Pakistani Rangers, in relation to the Qadir Trust case, which is one of dozens of cases pending against him since his ouster from office last year.

Khan was sent to the custody of the country's top anti-corruption body for eight days. However, he was released last Friday after supreme court judges ruled that his arrest was “illegal and invalid” and the high court granted him bail.

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He has repeatedly accused the Pakistani Army of plotting his downfall, calling it a vendetta byGeneral Asim Munir Ahmed against him.

“Without any doubt, the military is behind my arrest.Pakistan is now being run by the army chief. The crackdown on us is by the army chief," said Khan in an interview.

According to Khan, over 7,000 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) have been 'illegally detained' by the administration ever since he was arrested.

(With inputs from agencies)

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