In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, forty-two members of the US Congress, led by Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and Congressman Greg Casar, demanded immediate sanctions against senior Pakistani officials for what they described as a "escalating campaign of transnational repression and worsening human rights crisis in Pakistan" under the military-backed government of Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir.
In a bipartisan letter released on Wednesday, the congressmen demand specific actions, such as asset freezes and visa bans, for officials who threaten US nationals and residents who criticize Pakistan's military establishment, as well as their relatives back home.
"Threats, intimidation, and harassment have been directed at US citizens and residents who have spoken out against authoritarian abuses in Pakistan in recent years; these actions frequently extend to their Pakistani relatives.
These strategies, which target diaspora people and their kin, include arbitrary detentions, coercion, and retaliatory violence," the letter said.
The letter also warns of a growing authoritarian crisis in Pakistan, claiming that ordinary citizens have been jailed for social media activity, journalists have been harassed or forced into exile, and opposition leaders have been detained without charge.
Concerns regarding women, religious minorities, and ethnic communities especially in Balochistan who they claim experience disproportionate repression are also raised by the parliamentarians.
"Relentless repression is what keeps Pakistan's authoritarian system in place. Leaders of the opposition are detained without charge, denied a fair trial, and placed in indefinite pretrial custody.
Independent journalists face intimidation, kidnapping, or exile. The letter stated, "Women, religious minorities, and marginalized ethnic groups particularly in Balochistan face disproportionate violence and surveillance, while ordinary citizens are arrested for social media posts."
The letter cited specific instances, including Pakistani-American musician Salman Ahmad, whose brother-in-law was kidnapped until US authorities intervened, and Virginia-based investigative journalist Ahmad Noorani, whose brothers were kidnapped and held for more than a month after he reported on military corruption.
The Members point to flaws in the independent Pattan Report about Pakistan's 2024 elections and point out that the US State Department had voiced concerns and demanded a thorough investigation.
They contend that subsequent political developments, such as the choice to permit civilian trials in military courts, are indicative of a wider authoritarian crackdown.
"A submissive civilian façade was put in place during the 2024 elections, which were widely denounced for irregularities and detailed in the Pattan Report, an independent Pakistani civil society study tracking electoral irregularities.
These worries were mirrored by the U.S. State Department, which openly expressed concern over alleged anomalies and demanded a thorough inquiry into the election process.
These events are representative of a more widespread totalitarian repression. The letter said that Pakistan's Supreme Court erased judicial independence and institutionalized impunity by allowing civilians to be convicted in military courts due to military pressure.
Noting that the US State Department itself had expressed concern about voting irregularities, the US congressmen also demanded the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and other political detainees.
"We implore the Administration to immediately take action against officials who are suspected of engaging in systematic repression, international repression, and undermining judicial independence, including asset freezes and visa bans.
It said, "Such actions would strengthen U.S. commitment to human rights, protect American citizens from transnational repression, and promote regional stability, along with calls for the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and other political prisoners."
