The US State Department has voiced concern about the detention of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, asking Pakistan to uphold human rights and democratic values.
"We have witnessed incidents of PTI leaders' arrests. We are always concerned when we see arrests of opposition leaders," said US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller during a news conference in Washington on Tuesday.
Washington's reaction comes in the wake of PTI Information Secretary Raoof Hasan's detention for reportedly leading a digital media cell involved in spreading propaganda against Pakistan and its integrity.
Hasan, a key PTI official, was arrested by Islamabad Police on Monday from the party's Central Secretariat in the federal capital and then handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on a two-day physical remand by a district and sessions court on Tuesday.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against 12 PTI officials and workers, including Hasan, under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act's sections 9 (glorification of an offense), 10 (cyber-terrorism), and 11 (hate speech).
The party has faced significant arrests and a widespread crackdown since the May 9 riots, which were sparked by the arrest of its founder, Imran Khan, in a fraud case and resulted in the vandalism of various military and government sites.
In response to Hasan's arrest, Miller stated, "I'm always personally concerned when I see the arrest of a spokesperson."
He also reaffirmed Washington's commitment to the peaceful enforcement of constitutional and democratic norms such as the rule of law, equal justice under the law, and respect for human rights such as freedom of speech and peaceful assembly.
"We urge that these principles be respected in accordance with Pakistan's constitution and laws," he said.