FO downplays US bill seeking sanctions on Pakistani officials, says doesn’t align with current positive dynamics – World

The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday downplayed the matter of a bipartisan bill in the US House of Representatives calling for sanctions on Pakistani state functionaries and said it did not align with the “current positive dynamics” of bilateral relations between the two nations.

The bill, titled the “Pakistan Democracy Act”, over alleged human rights violations, including the “persecution” of former prime minister Imran Khan, was introduced on Monday by Republican Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina and Democrat Jimmy Panetta of California. It has been referred to the House Foreign Affairs and Judiciary Committees for further deliberation.

The proposed legislation calls for the imposition of sanctions on Pakistan’s army chief within 180 days if the country does not take steps to improve its human rights situation. The bill seeks to utilise 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 involved in the alleged suppression of political opposition in Pakistan and place them on a sanctions list. It would further empower the US president to lift these sanctions if Pakistan ends military interference in governance and releases all “wrongfully detained political detainees.”

Questioned about the bill in his weekly press briefing today, FO Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan pointed out that it was an initiative of a “single individual legislator”.

He added: “We believe that the timing and context of the bill does not align well with the current positive dynamics of Pakistan-US bilateral relations based on mutual respect, understanding and non-interference in each other’s affairs.”

The spokesperson said the bill would have to go through several committees in the House of Representatives and Senate before its passage.

“We hope that the US Congress will continue its supportive role in strengthening Pakistan-US ties and focus on avenues of mutual collaboration that benefit both our peoples and countries. Pakistan remains committed to constitutionalism, rule of law, protection of human rights and freedom of expression, because it considers democracy as a vehicle for prosperity and progress as a nation.

“As I mentioned earlier, this is an individual legislator’s initiative. This is not the position of the US government,” the FO spokesperson asserted.

The introduction of the draft bill highlights the continued engagement of PTI supporters in the US, who have been lobbying American lawmakers since Imran’s removal from office in 2022. Over the past three years, PTI-affiliated activists have organised demonstrations, held meetings with members of Congress, and urged US intervention in Pakistan’s political affairs.

In June 2024, a similar resolution was passed in the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support, with 98 per cent votes in favour. That resolution urged then-president Joe Biden to press Pakistan to uphold democracy and the rule of law. However, the Biden administration did not take any action in response.

Diplomatic sources indicate that Pakistani officials may try to delay further action on the legislation using diplomatic channels.

The bill was also a topic of discussion at a diplomatic reception at the Pakistan Embassy on Monday night.

While Pakistani diplomats acknowledged concerns over the development, they remained hopeful that the bill would not gain enough traction to be implemented. They pointed out that Washington still saw Pakistan as an important security partner, citing Islamabad’s cooperation in the recent arrest and deportation of an Islamic State-Khorasan terrorist as an example.

Last month, Congressman Wilson and Republican Congressman August Pfluger sent a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging him to intervene to “restore democracy” in Pakistan.

“We write as staunch conservatives to ask that you engage with Pakistan’s military regime to free Imran Khan,” Wilson and Pfluger stated in their letter, highlighting Imran’s previous ties with US officials.

Wilson also sent a similar letter to President Donald Trump, emphasising that Imran’s imprisonment had implications for US strategic interests.

In addition, several members of Congress — from both sides of the aisle — have publicly called for Imran’s release. These include Reps. Greg Casar, Rashida Tlaib, Haley Stevens, Ilhan Omar, Brad Sherman, Ro Khanna, August Pfluger, and Jack Bergman, among others.

While the bill’s introduction underscores continued scrutiny of Pakistan’s human rights record in Washington, its prospects remain uncertain.

Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at The Wilson Centre, called it “one of the most significant pieces of legislation on Pakistan in quite some time”. He acknowledged that it “may be a long shot to pass, but it’ll spook Pakistan’s leadership”, he wrote on X.