Reps. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) and Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif). launched the “Pakistan Democracy Act” on Monday, searching for to sanction the nation’s Military chief for “persecution of political opponents” together with former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The Hill obtained a replica of the invoice, which might place sanctions on Pakistan’s army boss inside 180 days, below the World Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Violators might be subjected to denial of entry to the US and ineligibility for U.S. visas.
The bipartisan laws accuses Pakistani army chief Basic Asim Munir of “knowingly engaging in the wrongful persecution and imprisonment of political opponents.” It additional seeks the identification of key people concerned on this “persecution,” and imposing related bans on them.
It offers the president the facility to drop the sanctions if “military rule has ended in Pakistan and rule of law and civilian-led democracy has been restored” and “all wrongfully detained political detainees have been released from detention.”
Wilson has constantly demanded the discharge of Khan, who was arrested in August 2023, and blamed Pakistan’s army for his “unjust detention.”
“Mr. Khan is clearly a political prisoner,” Wilson advised The Hill, including that he has written a letter to President Trump urging him to “put pressure on Pakistan’s military leadership including through visa bans, to restore democracy and release Mr. Khan.”
Members of Congress on each side of the aisle have sought the discharge of Khan, who has confronted numerous expenses following his removing from workplace in 2022.
Members and supporters of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) social gathering have expressed hope that the Trump administration will lean on Pakistan’s leaders for Khan’s launch.
Trump has not publicly commented on Khan’s incarceration or ouster.
Nonetheless, Trump’s “envoy for special missions,” Richard Grenell, has tweeted in assist of the previous prime minister.
A submit on the social platform X from Grenell in December extending assist to Khan acquired over 12 million views and was extensively shared by Khan’s supporters.
“Watch Pakistan,” he mentioned. “Their Trump-like leader is in prison on phony charges, and the people have been inspired by the US Red Wave. Stop the political prosecutions around the world!”
Hopes of a pro-Khan stance from the president have been dampened, nonetheless, by his joint handle to Congress earlier this month, wherein he thanked the Pakistani authorities for facilitating the arrest of an Islamic State (ISIS) member accused of planning a 2021 terror assault in Kabul that killed American troopers.
Final week, US State Division spokesperson Tammy Bruce declined to touch upon Khan’s imprisonment, saying that the administration doesn’t contain itself within the inner issues of different international locations.
Wilson advised The Hill he thinks Pakistan’s cooperation over the arrest of the ISIS suspect needs to be welcomed, however that the nation ought to nonetheless be “encouraged” to uphold democratic values.
Others on Capitol Hill who’ve demanded Khan’s launch embrace Reps. Greg Casar (D-Texas), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), August Pfluger (R-Texas), Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), amongst others.
Husain Haqqani, a former Pakistani envoy to the U.S. and senior fellow on the Hudson Institute, mentioned the U.S. was unlikely to expend its restricted leverage on Khan.
“It is unlikely that sanctions would be imposed on Pakistan just to secure the release of a populist but anti-American politician,” Haqqani mentioned, referring to Khan’s previous anti-American stance.
In 2022, following his ouster from energy via a no-confidence vote, Khan claimed that his removing as prime minister was the results of an “American conspiracy.” He accused the then-opposition of collaborating with the U.S. to carry down his authorities.
The Biden administration had denied these claims.
Khan mentioned on the time the U.S. didn’t need him in energy on account of his anti-imperialist stance and impartial overseas coverage selections. His social gathering’s rallies towards his ouster featured anti-American slogans and chants about standing as much as “overseas slavery” and defending the nation’s sovereignty.
Wilson mentioned he has main variations with Khan, not solely in his previous anti-American statements, but in addition his statements defending China, and “refusing to take a strong stance against war criminal Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.”
“But political differences should be dealt with at the ballot box,” he added.
Michael Kugleman, South Asia director of the Washington D.C.-based Wilson Heart, mentioned he didn’t count on the U.S. to finally place sanctions on Pakistan over its refusal to free Khan.
And he famous a sure irony within the pleas coming from Khan’s camp.
“For many observers in DC, there is something deeply ironic about Khan supporters blaming the U.S. for Khan’s ouster and then calling on it to rescue him,” Kugleman mentioned.
“Khan supporters counter that it’s about ‘reversing an interference,’ but that itself is a highly partisan statement as it assumes the U.S. was complicit in Khan’s ouster,” he added.
Haqqani mentioned the calls from lawmakers have been extra about “constituency politics and responding to donors” than something associated to Khan’s politics.
“Several members of Congress are unaware of Khan’s track record, as some have mistakenly described him as a friend of the U.S., which he has never claimed to be,” the previous ambassador mentioned.
The Hill reached out to the Trump administration and the Pakistan embassy for remark.
