In one of the strongest warnings yet from Washington, 44 members of the US Congress, led by Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and Congressman Greg Casar, have written to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, sharply criticising Pakistan’s current political trajectory and directly naming Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir for what they call an “escalating campaign of transnational repression”.
“We write to express urgent concern over the 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 Asim Munir,” the letter said.
The letter marks one of the strongest bipartisan interventions on Pakistan in recent years, and signals growing impatience across the US political spectrum with the direction of the military-backed administration in Islamabad.
Lawmakers Question Why No Sanctions Have Been Imposed On Munir
In the document, the Congressmembers ask why the Trump administration has not yet imposed Global Magnitsky sanctions or visa restrictions on Munir despite what they describe as extensive evidence of political repression.
We urge the Administration to swiftly impose measures, such as visa bans and asset freezes, against officials credibly perpetrating systematic repression, transnational repression, and undermining judicial independence,” the letter stated.
Allegations: Political Repression, Election Manipulation, Enforced Disappearances
The letter outlines a long list of concerns, including the manipulation of Pakistan’s 2024 election, the suppression of opposition parties, and the widespread use of enforced disappearances.
It cites the Pattan Report and findings from global watchdog organisations to argue that the electoral process was conducted under systematic military pressure, resulting in outcomes that critics have described as neither free nor credible.
According to the signatories, the period after the polls saw a rapid hollowing out of democratic institutions—parliament, the media and sections of the judiciary—replaced by what they call a “pliant civilian façade”.
“The 2024 elections — widely condemned for irregularities and documented in the Pattan Report, an independent Pakistani civil society study monitoring election irregularities — installed a pliant civilian facade. The US State Department echoed these concerns, publicly expressing alarm over reported irregularities and called for a full investigation into the electoral process. These developments are emblematic of a broader authoritarian crackdown. Under military pressure, Pakistan’s Supreme Court authorised civilians to be tried in military courts, erasing judicial independence and institutionalising impunity”, the letter stated.
Cases Cited: Transnational Intimidation And Pressure On Families Of Critics
A significant section of the letter focuses on what the lawmakers describe as Pakistan’s transnational repression tactics, including intimidation of Pakistanis living abroad.
“In recent years, US citizens and residents who have spoken out against authoritarian abuses in Pakistan have faced threats, intimidation, and harassment–often extending to their families in Pakistan. These tactics include arbitrary detentions, coercion, and retaliatory violence, targeting diaspora individuals and their relatives”, the letter stated.
The document highlights multiple cases to illustrate this, including incidents involving the relatives of US-based musician Salman Ahmad, whose family members were allegedly abducted in Pakistan.
Concerns Over Military Courts And The State Of The Judiciary
The Congressmembers also flag the recent decision of Pakistan’s Supreme Court allowing civilians to be tried in military courts, calling it a major setback to judicial independence and due process.
According to them, peaceful dissent in Pakistan is increasingly treated as a criminal offence, with little prospect of relief through civilian judicial mechanisms.
