Resolution in Canadian House of Commons on Imran Khan’s release

Rating Justification

The iVerify Pakistan team has checked this content and has established that it is false since no resolution was passed by Canada’s House of Commons demanding PTI chief Imran Khan’s release.

To arrive at this verdict, the iVerify Pakistan team sourced the original e-petition presented on October 4, 2023, and also examined the Canadian government’s tabled response to it.

HOW IT STARTED

On January 10, 2024, a post from a PTI supporter was shared on social media platform X with the caption: “Canada’s House of Commons passes a resolution in favour of Imran Khan, demands the immediate release of Imran Khan.”

The post had also attached images of a purported petition in the PTI chief’s favour, along with the Canadian government’s response to it.

The post gained over 12,000 views.

A post from another PTI supporter with the same caption gained over 97,000 views.

The post also shared a video clip of the e-petition being presented in the House of Commons by Conservative lawmaker Michael Kram.

The same caption, video clip and petition were shared by another PTI supporter and gained 57,000 views.

METHODOLOGY

The iVerify Pakistan team sought to determine the veracity of the claim in the caption repeating among the posts examined due to the high virality as well as the issue concerning former prime minister Imran Khan.

The iVerify Pakistan team’s investigation into the clip’s origin traced it back to Michael Kram’s official YouTube account with a video posted on October 5, 2023, titled: “Elections and Sanctions for Pakistan”

The video description was as follows:

“Today in the House of Commons I presented E-Petition 4547 calling for Magnitsky sanctions on members of the Pakistani military and conditions on future financial assistance.”

The team’s investigation yielded a transcription of the lawmaker’s presentation during the House of Commons session on Oct 4 on independent website Open Parliament.

The transcript is reproduced below:

“Mr. Speaker, I congratulate you on your new role.

“I am pleased to have the opportunity to present e-petition 4547 to the House of Commons. This petition was initiated by Regina resident Khurrum Awan, and it has been signed by residents across the country.

“The petition is regarding reports of politically motivated acts of violence in Pakistan following the arrest of former Pakistani prime minister, Imran Khan, and the postponement of general elections in that country, in violation of the country’s constitution.

“The petitioners call on the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development to explore the feasibility of imposing Magnitsky sanctions on members of the Pakistani military responsible for the violence.

“The petitioners also call on the government to pressure the International Monetary Fund to make any loans to the Pakistani regime conditional on hosting free and fair elections.

“I am pleased to have the opportunity to present this petition today in the House of Commons.

“The e-petition 4547 was presented in the House of Commons on October 4, 2023, by representative Michael Kram and initiated by the resident of Canada’s city Regina Khurram Awan and signed across the country as stated on the official site.”

As per the website for the Parliament of Canada, e-petition 4547 was initiated by Khurram Awan from Regina, Saskatchewan and subsequently presented by Kram in the Oct 4 session.

The text of the e-petition is reproduced below:

Whereas:

Concern is rising among Pakistani Canadians regarding political unrest and socioeconomic turmoil in Pakistan;

There is growing concern regarding reports of politically motivated acts of violence and threats against opposition parties and their followers, by members of the Pakistani military and their agents in the run-up to general elections in Pakistan later this year; and

There is grave concern about the recent arrest of former Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan, and the steps being taken by the Pakistani military and its agents to limit participation in general elections by the former Prime Minister and Pakistan’s largest opposition party.

We, the undersigned, Residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to:

1. Ask the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development to immediately explore the feasibility of imposing Magnitsky sanctions on Pakistani military members responsible for these acts;

2. To ask the Government of Canada to use its membership in the International Monetary Fund to require the issuance of new and current loans and the extension of existing loans to the Government of Pakistan to be conditional on Pakistan holding free and fair elections; and

3. To require these measures to be continued until free and fair elections are held later this year with the participation of all opposition parties and leaders.

The Canadian government’s response by the minister of foreign affairs to the e-petition was tabled on November 20, 2023.

A portion of the response’s text is reproduced below:

Canada and Pakistan have a multifaceted bilateral relationship, which dates back to 1947, and is underpinned by extensive people-to-people ties.

The Government of Canada is aware of the latest political developments in Pakistan and continues to monitor the situation, including in the lead-up to general elections announced for February 8, 2023.

As of November 15, all registered political parties in Pakistan are eligible to participate in the next general elections.

Canada considers diplomacy, advocacy, and programming activities to be among the most effective ways of promoting democracy, human rights, and respect for the rule of law in Pakistan.

In fact, the promotion and protection of democratic values, human rights and the rule of law are integral elements of Canada’s foreign policy and key priorities for Canada’s engagement in Pakistan. Canada continues to advance an inclusive approach to democracy, one that allows people to participate in decision-making processes and institutions that impact all areas of their lives.

BACKGROUND

On August 5, 2023, the PTI chief was sentenced to three years of imprisonment by an Islamabad trial court in a case related to state gifts. The case, filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan, had accused the PTI leader of not mentioning the details of state gifts in his tax declarations.

The Islamabad High Court set aside the sentence on Aug 29, 2023, and ordered his release. However, he was not freed as he was undergoing trial in the cipher and other cases.

The PTI chief currently remains incarcerated in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.

CONCLUSION

The iVerify team has determined that the claims in the caption circulating are false since no resolution was passed by Canada’s House of Commons demanding the release of the PTI chief.

Rather, a petition was presented in Imran’s favour on Oct 4 but neither it nor the government’s response showed any demand for the former prime minister’s release.

Furthermore, a disclaimer on the website for Canada’s Parliament said:

“Neither the House of Commons nor any Member of Parliament authorising the publication of an e-petition or presenting an e-petition or paper petition to the House of Commons endorses the views or information contained in any petition posted on this website. Moreover, they do not make any representations about, or assume any liability for, any of the views or information set out in any petition.”

A petition thus does not represent the House of Commons’ or a lawmaker’s view.

The website describes a petition as a “formal request to an authority for redress of a grievance” and a “direct means of communication between the people and Parliament”.

A fuller explanation said:

“Petitions today may be described as a vehicle for political input, a way of attempting to influence policy-making and legislation and also, judging by their continued popularity, a valued means of bringing public concerns to the attention of Parliament. Petitions also have their place among the tools which members and ministers can use to formulate public policy and to carry out their representative duties.”

Evidence and References

MP Michael Kram’s October 5, 2023, YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h48P_K9mJQo&ab_channel=MichaelKram

Transcription of MP Michael Kram’s October 4, 2023, presentation of the petition:
https://openparliament.ca/debates/2023/10/4/michael-kram-1/

Link to e-petition 4547 and government response:
https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4547

Definition of public petitions in Canada’s House of Commons:
https://www.ourcommons.ca/procedure/procedure-and-practice-3/ch_22-e.html