US lawmaker expresses serious concern over state of human rights in Pakistan

A senior U.S. lawmaker has expressed serious concern over the state of human rights in Pakistan, warning that basic freedoms are under threat under the current administration. Representative Chris Smith, Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, highlighted the ongoing detention of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a high-security prison in Rawalpindi as a key point of concern.

Rep. Smith made the remarks during a congressional hearing in Washington on Tuesday, focused on “political repression” in Pakistan. The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, a bipartisan body established by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008, works to promote and protect human rights globally through hearings, investigations, and policy recommendations.

The latest session centered on Pakistan’s political environment and featured testimony from multiple witnesses, including Zulfi Bukhari, a senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) figure and close aide to Imran Khan.

“Life in Pakistan today is marked by rampant government violations of fundamental freedoms — particularly freedom of speech, press freedom, and the right to free and fair elections,” Smith said in his opening remarks.

He emphasized the significance of the issue, noting, “Pakistan is home to over 250 million people — the fifth-largest country in the world — so the human cost of this repression is both vast and severe.”

Smith acknowledged that Pakistan’s democratic challenges are longstanding, but argued that the country’s human rights record has “deteriorated sharply in recent years.”

The congressman pointed to the clash between the powerful military establishment and Khan’s PTI party, describing Imran Khan as a “genuinely popular leader” who sought to challenge entrenched corruption and military dominance before being removed in what Smith called a “political coup” in 2022.

Referring to Pakistan’s 2024 general elections, Smith said they were “widely viewed as unfree and unfair, including by the U.S. government,” citing the ban on PTI, systematic harassment of party officials, prohibitions on public gatherings, a nationwide internet blackout, and widespread electoral irregularities.

During his testimony, Bukhari stated that both Imran Khan and his wife are being held in solitary confinement for more than 23 hours a day, calling their treatment “inhumane.”

He strongly criticized the legitimacy of the February 2024 elections — which PTI claims were rigged — and condemned the military trials of civilians, saying dozens of PTI members and supporters were convicted without due process.

“This is a purge,” Bukhari asserted. “It’s not justice.”

In response to Bukhari’s testimony, Rep. Smith urged the U.S. administration to take the situation in Pakistan more seriously. He called on policymakers to “redouble their commitment to democracy and human rights” in the South Asian nation.