US lawmakers seek sanctions on Pakistan Army chief, demand release of Imran Khan

Two US lawmakers have introduced a bill seeking to impose sanctions on Pakistan’s Army chief General Asim Munir, for allegedly engaging in the “wrongful persecution and imprisonment” of political opponents and the release of detainees, including former Prime Minister Imran Khan, a media report said.

The “Pakistan Democracy Act” was introduced on Monday by Republican representative Joe Wilson from South Carolina and Democratic representative Jimmy Panetta from California, The Hill reported.

The bipartisan bill accuses Gen Munir of “knowingly engaging in the wrongful persecution and imprisonment of political opponents” and proposes sanctions on the military chief within 180 days under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. According to the news portal, violators can be subjected to denial of entry into the US and ineligibility for US visas. It also seeks the identification of other key individuals involved in the alleged “persecution” and the imposition of similar bans on them.

The bill gives the president the power to drop the sanctions if “military rule has ended in Pakistan, rule of law and civilian-led democracy has been restored” and “all wrongfully detained political detainees have been released.”

According to the news portal, Wilson called the 72-year-old Khan a “political prisoner” and blamed Pakistan’s powerful military for his “unjust detention”.

Khan has faced 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 his party, he faces over 200 cases, some of which are ongoing, while he has been granted bail or convicted in others.

Wilson told The Hill that he had previously written to then-President Trump, urging him to “put pressure on Pakistan’s military leadership, including through visa bans, to restore democracy and secure the release Khan.”