Forty-two members of the U.S. Congress, led by Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Greg Casar, have written to Marco Rubio calling for immediate sanctions on senior Pakistani officials. In a bipartisan letter made public Wednesday, the lawmakers urged targeted steps — including visa bans and asset freezes — against officials they say are behind 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.
The letter says U.S. citizens and residents who criticize Pakistan’s military establishment have faced threats, intimidation and harassment, often extended to relatives who remain in Pakistan. It describes tactics such as arbitrary detention, coercion and retaliatory violence directed at diaspora critics and their families.
Lawmakers warned of a deepening authoritarian crisis, alleging that opposition leaders are being held without charge or fair trial, independent journalists are harassed, abducted or driven into exile, and ordinary citizens are arrested over social media posts. They highlighted disproportionate repression of women, religious minorities and marginalized ethnic groups, particularly in Balochistan.
The letter cites specific incidents to illustrate its concerns. It names Virginia-based investigative journalist Ahmad Noorani, noting that his brothers were reportedly abducted and detained for more than a month after his reporting on alleged military corruption. It also references Pakistani-American musician Salman Ahmad, whose brother-in-law was allegedly kidnapped until U.S. authorities intervened.
On electoral issues, the lawmakers pointed to reported irregularities in Pakistan’s 2024 elections documented by the independent Pattan Report and noted that the U.S. State Department called for a full investigation. They argue these developments, together with moves to allow civilians to be tried in military courts, reflect broader pressure from the military that undermines judicial independence and institutionalizes impunity.
The letter urges the U.S. administration to quickly impose targeted measures — visa restrictions and asset freezes — against officials credibly responsible for systematic and transnational repression, and to press for the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and other political detainees. The lawmakers say such actions would reaffirm U.S. commitment to human rights, protect American citizens from overseas repression, and help promote regional stability.
The letter was circulated by members across party lines and is presented as a call for a coordinated U.S. response to what they describe as an intensifying campaign of repression affecting Pakistan’s civil society, political opposition and diaspora.
