US bill seeks sanctions on Pakistan's Army chief, demands Imran Khan's release

US lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill in the House of Representatives, calling for sanctions on Pakistani state functionaries over alleged human rights violations, including the "persecution" of former prime minister Imran Khan, reports Dawn.

The bill, titled the "Pakistan Democracy Act," 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".

Imran Khan has been implicated in dozens of cases since his government was dismissed through a no-confidence motion in 2022. He was arrested in August 2023 and is currently incarcerated in Rawalpindi's high-security Adiala Jail.

According to the Dawn report, the introduction of this draft bill highlights the continued engagement of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters in the US, who have been lobbying American lawmakers since Imran Khan's removal from office in 2022. 

In June 2024, a similar resolution was passed in the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support, with 98pc 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.

The Pakistani Embassy in Washington has so far declined to comment on the bill, or disclose how it plans to counter this latest move. However, diplomatic sources indicate that Pakistani officials may try to delay further action on the legislation using diplomatic channels.

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 sees Pakistan as an important security partner, citing Islamabad's cooperation in the recent arrest and deportation of an IS-K terrorist as an example.

Last month, Congressman Joe 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 Khan's previous ties with US officials.

Wilson also sent a similar letter to President Donald Trump, emphasising that Khan'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 Khan'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.