WASHINGTON: A senior US lawmaker, Brad Sherman, has said that former prime minister Imran Khan has assured him that he was not against America.

Mr Sherman, a Democrat Congressman from California, and the chief negotiator of the US-Taliban deal have both rejected the suggestion that they support former Mr Khan’s campaign for regaining power.

Mr Sherman, however, confirmed that he spoke with Mr Khan recently and shared with him his concerns over alleged human rights violations in Pakistan.

In that telephone call, Mr Khan told him that “he believes in the rule of law” and wants good relations with the United States, Mr Sherman said in an interview to VOA Urdu this weekend.

Last week, Mr Sherman wrote a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, asking him to “use all diplomatic channels to urge Pakistani authorities to investigate the alleged abuses and to hold accountable anybody who may be responsible”.

Like Mr Sherman, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, who negotiated the US-Taliban deal, also rejected the impression that he was lobbying for Imran Khan. Recently, Mr Khalilzad released several tweets, condemning alleged human rights violations in Pakistan and calling for fresh elections.

Earlier this week, former president Asif Zardari told a Pakistani TV channel that Mr Khalilzad was doing so because “someone might have acquired his services” and that’s why he was supporting Imran Khan.

Mr Khalilzad used Twitter to respond to Mr Zardari’s allegation as well. “I do not lobby for anyone or any country and am no one’s agent,” he wrote.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2023