Washington DC [US], December 4 (ANI): Forty-two members of the United States Congress, led by Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and Congressman Greg Casar, have written to Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling for immediate sanctions on senior Pakistani officials over what they describe as an “escalating campaign of transnational repression and worsening human rights crisis in Pakistan” under the military-backed government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir.
In a bipartisan letter made public Wednesday, the lawmakers urged targeted measures, including visa bans and asset freezes, against officials accused of threatening U.S. citizens and residents who criticize Pakistan’s military establishment, as well as their family members in Pakistan.
“In recent years, U.S. citizens and residents who have spoken out against authoritarian abuses in Pakistan have faced threats, intimidation, and harassment—often extending to their families in Pakistan. These tactics include arbitrary detentions, coercion, and retaliatory violence, targeting diaspora individuals and their relatives,” the letter said.
The lawmakers warned of a deepening authoritarian crisis in Pakistan, alleging opposition leaders have been detained without charge, journalists intimidated or forced into exile, and ordinary citizens arrested over social media posts. They raised concerns about disproportionate repression of women, religious minorities, and marginalized ethnic communities, particularly in Balochistan.
“This authoritarian system in Pakistan is sustained through relentless repression. Opposition leaders are held without charge, denied fair trial, and kept in indefinite pretrial detention. Independent journalists are harassed, abducted, or forced into exile. Ordinary citizens are arrested for social media posts, while women, religious minorities, and marginalised ethnic groups—particularly in Balochistan—face disproportionate violence and surveillance,” the letter added.
The letter cited specific cases, including Virginia-based investigative journalist Ahmad Noorani, whose brothers were abducted and held for over a month after his reporting on military corruption, and Pakistani-American musician Salman Ahmad, whose brother-in-law was allegedly kidnapped until U.S. authorities intervened.
Referencing Pakistan’s 2024 elections, the lawmakers pointed to irregularities documented in the independent Pattan Report and noted the U.S. State Department’s call for a full investigation. They argued that subsequent political developments—such as allowing civilians to be tried in military courts—reflect a broader authoritarian crackdown that undermines judicial independence.
“The 2024 elections—widely condemned for irregularities and documented in the Pattan Report, an independent Pakistani civil society study monitoring election irregularities—installed a pliant civilian facade. The U.S. State Department echoed these concerns, publicly expressing alarm over reported irregularities and called for a full investigation into the electoral process. These developments are emblematic of a broader authoritarian crackdown. Under military pressure, Pakistan’s Supreme Court authorised civilians to be tried in military courts, erasing judicial independence and institutionalising impunity,” the letter said.
The members urged the U.S. administration to swiftly impose measures such as visa bans and asset freezes against officials credibly perpetrating systematic and transnational repression, and to call for the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and other political prisoners. They said such steps would reinforce U.S. commitment to human rights, protect American citizens from transnational repression, and promote regional stability. (ANI)
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