Overview
- Forty-four members of Congress, led by Reps. Pramila Jayapal and Greg Casar, sent a public letter pressing for immediate targeted measures against Pakistani officials.
- The letter names Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government and Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir, alleging an escalating campaign of transnational repression and rights abuses.
- Lawmakers cite cases involving U.S.-based critics, including journalist Ahmed Noorani’s brothers allegedly abducted in Pakistan and musician Salman Ahmad’s relative detained until U.S. intervention.
- The signatories reference the Pattan Report on 2024 election irregularities and note the authorization of military trials for civilians as evidence of democratic backsliding.
- They call for the release of former prime minister Imran Khan, seek answers on why sanctions have not been used, and ask whether President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden raised these concerns in recent meetings with Pakistani leaders.