A bill to impose sanctions on Pakistani state officials has been introduced in the US House of Representatives, accusing Pakistan of alleged human rights violations, including the persecution of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
According to a report, the bill, titled the ‘Pakistan Democracy Act’, was introduced by Republican Congressman Joe Wilson from South Carolina and Democrat Jimmy Panetta from California. It has been sent to the Foreign Affairs and Judiciary Committees of the House of Representatives for further consideration.
The proposed bill states that if Pakistan does not take steps to improve the human rights situation, sanctions will be imposed on Pakistan’s army chief within 180 days. The bill attempts to use the US Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which allows the US to deny visas and entry to individuals accused of human rights violations. The draft bill also calls on the US administration to identify key individuals allegedly involved in the suppression of political opponents in Pakistan, and to add them to the sanctions list.
It would give the US president more authority to lift these sanctions if Pakistan ends military intervention in governance and releases all ‘wrongly detained political prisoners’.The draft bill highlights the continued engagement of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters in the US, who have been lobbying US lawmakers since Imran Khan was ousted from office in 2022.
Over the past 3 years, PTI activists have held demonstrations, met with members of Congress, and pressed for US intervention in Pakistan’s political affairs. A similar resolution passed in the House of Representatives in June 2024 with bipartisan support, with 98 percent of the vote in favor, urging then-President Joe Biden to pressure Pakistan to uphold democracy and the rule of law, but the Biden administration has not taken any action in response.
The Pakistani embassy in Washington has so far declined to comment on the bill or say how it intends to counter the latest move. However, diplomatic sources say Pakistani authorities may use diplomatic channels to try to delay further action on the legislation. The bill was also discussed at a diplomatic reception at the Pakistani embassy
While Pakistani diplomats acknowledged concerns over the development, they are optimistic that the bill will not gain enough traction to pass, pointing out that Washington still views Pakistan as a key security partner, and citing Islamabad’s cooperation in the recent capture and deportation of an ISIS terrorist as an example.
Last month, Congressman Joe Wilson and Republican Congressman August Fulger sent a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging him to intervene to “restore democracy” in Pakistan.
In their letter, Wilson and Fulger highlighted Imran Khan’s past ties with US officials, saying, “We write as conservatives to urge you to work with Pakistan’s military government to secure Imran Khan’s release.” as Wilson also sent a similar letter to President Donald Trump, stressing that Khan’s imprisonment would have implications for US strategic interests.
In addition, several members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have publicly called for Khan’s release, including Greg Kasser, Rashida Tlaib, Haley Stevens, Ilhan Omar, Brad Sherman, Ro Khanna, August Fulger, and Jack Bergman. Although the bill has been introduced, which signals continued scrutiny of Pakistan’s human rights record in Washington, its prospects are uncertain.
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Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, called it “one of the most important pieces of legislation on Pakistan in recent memory.”He acknowledged that the bill could take a long time to pass, but it would scare the Pakistani leadership.
