US Congressman Brad Sherman has expressed concerns about democracy, human rights, and the rule of law violations in Pakistan in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Dated April 11, the letter calls for a greater commitment to human rights in US policy towards Pakistan and urges Pakistani authorities to investigate alleged abuses and hold those responsible accountable.
In the letter, Sherman highlighted several cases of human rights violations in Pakistan, including the media ban on speeches by PTI Chairman Imran Khan, detention of protesters, the alleged torture of PTI leader Shahbaz Gill and journalist Jameel Farooqui, and the recent arrest of PTI leader Ali Amin Gandapur. Sherman also mentioned the delay in Punjab and KP elections, terming it “another sign of skirting democratic processes”, and cited Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah’s statement that “either he (Imran) will be eliminated from the political arena or us (PML-N)”.
The letter referenced statements from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, which called for investigations into the complaints against Gill and criticized the ban on broadcasting Imran’s speeches as a “disturbing demonstration of targeting critical voices”. Sherman also listed various other concerns about conduct by the government or its agents, including extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, political prisoners, restrictions on internet freedom, interference with peaceful assembly, restrictions on religious freedom, and threats of violence targeting LGBT+ persons.
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry praised Sherman’s letter in a tweet, stating that it showed growing concerns of the international community on human rights abuses in Pakistan by a “fascist government”. Chaudhry also called on European Union and United Kingdom parliamentarians to raise the issue of human rights abuses in their jurisdictions.
It is worth noting that PTI has been taking steps to improve its image in the US and inform the international community about the crackdown against the party by the PDM government. PTI leaders in the United Kingdom and Europe have also been active in staging protests, writing to MPs, and speaking with human rights organizations to highlight the government’s actions against the PTI. In August 2022, PTI’s US chapter hired a public relations firm to improve its image in the US, and recently in March 2023, it was revealed that PTI had hired a second lobbying firm in the US to raise awareness about the threat to Imran’s life.
The letter from Congressman Sherman adds to the growing international scrutiny of human rights issues in Pakistan and underscores the need for greater attention and action on these concerns by the Pakistani authorities.
