LONDON: Conservative Party MPs and peers are upset that they were unable to communicate with former Prime Minister and PTI Chief Imran Khan who was scheduled to hold a Zoom conversation with over 20 British lawmakers but whose internet connection was reportedly cut off for 30 minutes.
Sara Britcliffe, MP for Hyndburn and Haslingden, tweeted a screenshot of Conservative politicians in a Zoom meeting room with former adviser Zulfi Bukhari, saying that Mr Khan was set to join the call “when, without warning, Pakistan’s telecoms authorities cut off internet connections to his compound”.
She expressed concern about the “deteriorating” economic, political and security situation, and called for the release of political prisoners and journalists in Pakistan.
????Today @ImranKhanPTI was set to join a call with senior Conservative Party colleagues when, without warning, Pakistan’s telecoms authorities cut off internet connections to his compound. I’m grateful to @sayedzbukhari for speaking to us. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/85oDhKwNBO
— Sara Britcliffe MP (@SarBritcliffeMP) May 24, 2023
Azeem Ibrahim, one of the participants of the meeting who also helped arrange the call was quoted in Dawn saying the MPs were “angry and annoyed” that they were unable to speak to Mr Khan.
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“The initiative was taken by Lord Daniel Hannan who is very thoroughly interested in Pakistan and has met Imran Khan during his visits there,” Mr Ibrahim, research professor at the Strategic Studies Institute, said.
The conversation with Mr. Khan was set up with Zulfi Bukhari’s assistance, and “the idea was to gather members of parliament to get a briefing directly from Imran Khan about what is happening.”
The participants were unable to speak with Mr Khan as his internet connection was cut, and instead ended up speaking with Mr Bukhari — who informed them that Mr Khan’s internet had been cut around 6pm Pakistan time — and asked him a series of questions.
