By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: A former aide to imprisoned ex-prime minister Imran Khan will testify on Tuesday before a US congressional commission about what he calls widespread political repression in Pakistan.
Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, a leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, will address the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, focusing on the detention of Khan, his wife, and other political figures, as well as what he describes as a broad crackdown on democracy and free expression.
The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, a bipartisan body founded in 2008, promotes and defends international human rights under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The hearing, set for 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Rayburn House Office Building (12:30 a.m. Wednesday in Pakistan), will examine Pakistan’s treatment of opposition leaders and journalists, along with its electoral integrity.
Open to the public and press, the session will “examine the government of Pakistan’s persecution of opposition political figures and journalists, and its actions to control media communications and prevent free and fair elections,” according to the commission’s notice.
Bukhari announced his upcoming testimony in a July 9 post on X, thanking the commission’s co-chairs, Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.) and Rep. Christopher Smith (R-N.J.), for the chance to speak. “I will be highlighting the arbitrary detention of Imran Khan, his wife, and other political prisoners, as well as the erosion of democracy, the undermining of the rule of law, and escalating crackdowns on freedom of expression in Pakistan,” he wrote.
The commission pointed to Khan’s 2022 ouster, a widely popular leader, amid claims of military involvement. Arrested in August 2023 and convicted of corruption, Khan is serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in a £190 million case.
He faces further trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act linked to May 9, 2023, protests. The commission also referenced a U.S. State Department report that found Pakistan’s February 2024 elections were marred by “undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly,” alongside electoral violence and curbs on fundamental rights.
Joining Bukhari at the hearing will be Ben Linden, Amnesty International’s advocacy director for Europe and Central Asia; Jared Genser, managing director of Perseus Strategies; and Sadiq Amini, founder of the Afghanistan Impact Network.
“I am honoured and grateful to be able to testify alongside you before the [Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission] on Pakistan, human rights and the situation of Imran Khan and all political prisoners being held by the current regime,” Genser responded to Bukhari’s announcement on X.
Rep. Smith, who will chair the session, said in a press release that the hearing would “discuss the government of Pakistan’s ongoing political repression, the US response, and offer recommendations for Congress.”
Pakistan’s media and human rights advocates have sounded alarms over a shrinking civic space. A May 2025 report from Freedom Network, titled “Free speech and public interest journalism under siege,” warned that the country’s media faces an “existential threat” due to increased restrictions, deteriorating safety, and challenges to professional integrity.
The report singled out amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) in January 2025, which it said “makes it easier” for authorities to arrest, fine, and imprison journalists and dissidents both online and offline.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), the nation’s leading rights watchdog, echoed these concerns in a statement this month. The group reported facing “arbitrary, illegal, and unjustified actions” in recent months that have hampered its work, underscoring a broader clampdown on advocacy.
Khan’s imprisonment and the PTI’s struggles have fueled debate over Pakistan’s democratic trajectory. Once a cricketing hero turned populist leader, Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022, a move his supporters claim was orchestrated by the military and political rivals. Since his arrest, his party has faced relentless pressure, with leaders detained and rallies disrupted.
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