Two American legislators introduced a bipartite bill to the House of Representatives requesting sanctions against Pakistani officials for alleged human rights violations, including the “persecution” of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, according to American media.
The bill, entitled The Pakistan Democracy Act, was presented by the member of the Republican Congress Joe Wilson de Caroline du Sud and the member of the Democratic Congress Jimmy Panetta of California. He was returned to the Chamber of Foreign Affairs and Judicial Committees for Examination.
The proposed legislation calls for sanctions to be imposed on the Pakistani army chief within 180 days of if the country does not take measures to improve its situation in terms of human rights.
The bill aims to invoke the US Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which allows the United States to refuse visas and entry to individuals accused of having committed human rights violations.
He also orders the United States government to identify and sanction individuals who would have been involved in the abolition of political opposition in Pakistan.
The president would be authorized in order to lift sanctions if Pakistan puts an end to military interference in civil governance and releases all “political prisoners detained”.
The discovery of the bill reflects the persistent efforts of supporters of PTI in the United States, who remained active in the lobbying of the American legislators since Imran Khan was ousted from power in 2022.
Over the past three years, activists have continued to stage rallies, to engage with members of the congress and to defend greater American involvement in political developments in Pakistan.
In June 2024, the House of Representatives of the United States adopted a similar resolution with strong bipartisan support – 98% in its favor.
This resolution called for the president of the time, Joe Biden, to encourage Pakistan to protect democratic values and the rule of law. Despite this, the Biden administration refrains from taking measures.
