Imran Khan's arrest Pakistan's internal matter: US
US lawmakers, who usually support Khan, have been silent since his arrest on Saturday
The US State Department has released a statement saying that it considers Imran Khan's arrest as Pakistan's internal matter even though independent observers have warned it would worsen the political crisis.
"The cases against Imran Khan and other politicians in Pakistan are an internal matter," a State Department spokesperson told Dawn. "We call for the respect of democratic principles and the rule of law in Pakistan, as we do around the world."
According to Dawn, US lawmakers, who usually support Khan, have been silent since his arrest on Saturday.
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However, political commentators and think-tank experts were more forthcoming.
Michael Kugelman, a scholar of South Asian affairs at the Wilson Centre in Washington, tweeted, "Not long ago, Pakistan's political crisis appeared to be easing a bit, with the government pledging to step down and make way for a caretaker to prepare for elections."
"But now, with Khan arrested again and indications that elections may be delayed, all bets are completely off," he continued.
MNA Mohsin Dawar, who is in North America, also tweeted: "One PM was convicted on an iqama and now another on selling a wristwatch. Politicians get discredited over such trivial matters while (others) get away" with more serious charges.
"Politicians keep getting used and then are discarded like Imran Khan. We keep going round and round in circles," he wrote.
On Saturday afternoon, a prominent PTI activist in London Shayan Ali, called on Khan's supporters to gather at the Pakistan mission in Lowndes Square, along with several supporters of Khan who gathered outside the Pakistan High Commission to protest his arrest.
