WASHINGTON: After the passage of HR 901 from the House of Representatives, PTI USA is now seeking to turn the non-binding resolution into a piece of legislation that is binding, a senior party official told Dawn.

Last week, the lower house of Congress adopted a resolution with an overwhelming majority (368 to 7), demanding a probe into the February 8 elections and condemning widespread human rights violations in Pakistan.

The resolution, which was met with chagrin inIslamabad, was rebuked as being `interference` by a counter-resolution, adopted last week by the National Assembly.

Atif Khan, a senior PTI USA leader, acknowledged that in its current state, the resolution calling for a probe into the Feb 8 elections and condemning widespread human rights violations in Pakistan was non-binding for the White House.

However, Mr Khan said they were making efforts to change this non-binding resolution into a piece of legislation that is binding.

`We are now seeking the Senate`s endorsement of the House resolution, said Atif Khan.Mr Khan also revealed that the party was actively distributing copies of a UN panel report, which concludes that there is no legal basis for Imran Khan`s detention, to members of the US House of Representatives and the Senate.

`We are also providing them with a statement from a UN spokesperson indicating that the UN Secretary-General wishes for a more positive resolution to Imran Khan`s situation,` he added.

Atif Khan stated that groups like Physicians for a Democratic Pakistan, which played a key role in the adoption of the resolution, are now approachingmembers of the US Senate to gain their approval.

He added that PTI lawyers were also `exploring the possibility of taking this matter to the International Criminal Court (ICC),` and they found recent UN statements on the matter `very encouraging.

`Various Pakistani groups in the UK and Europe, along with top law firms, are working to file cases in the ICC. An international group of like-minded individuals, primarily attorneys and solicitors, has been formed under the name Friends of Imran Khan Legal Support Group,` he explained.