US lawmaker ask Trump to take action and confront Pak Field Marshal Asim Munir over transnational repression
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "US lawmaker ask Trump to take action and confront Pak Field Marshal Asim Munir over transnational repression")
US lawmaker ask Trump to take action and confront Pak Field Marshal Asim Munir over transnational repression Photograph: (Credit: AFP/X)
The representatives penned a letter urging the administration to take cognisance of the matter and also hold the Pakistani leadership accountable. It also notes that the actions need to be addressed, as the situation is spilling beyond the country's borders.
The US Congress is pushing the Trump administration to confront Pakistan’s military leadership. This move comes after a transnational repression, which includes intimidation targeting pro-democracy Pakistani activists living in the States. Highlighting the matter were Democratic Party representatives Greg Casar and Pramila Jayapal. The representatives penned a letter urging the administration to take cognisance of the matter and also hold the Pakistani leadership accountable. It also notes that the actions need to be addressed, as the situation is spilling beyond the country's borders. It is also backed by Pakistani-American groups, viz. Community Alliance for Peace and Justice and the Coalition to Change US Policy on Pakistan (CUSP).
The groups also suggest that the Pakistani military has been intensifying its crackdown on dissent. It has also been pointed out that it has been rampant since the February 2024 elections in the country. The election was tainted with allegations of vote manipulation and suppression of voters, and it has been alleged that it was aimed at sidelining the former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently in jail for corruption charges. Activists alleging transnational regression say it is not just limited to opposition in the country but is also silencing voices overseas, which includes those in the US.
Earlier in June, Mehlaqa Samdani Director, Community Alliance For Peace and Justice, wrote to US House representatives James P. McGovern and Chris Smith. In the letter, he addressed his concerns regarding American citizens of Pakistani descent and noted they have been ‘directly subjected to transnational repression’.
The letter highlighted:
- We respectfully call on the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and Congress to launch a formal investigation into the Pakistani state’s transnational repression of Pakistani Americans, including the ongoing surveillance, intimidation, threats, and collective punishment through family targeting of hundreds across the country.
- Publicly name to hold accountable and impose sanctions upon the individuals directing these abuses. Specifically:
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
