By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: A bipartisan group of US lawmakers proposed legislation aimed at imposing sanctions on Pakistan’s military leaders, including Army Chief General Asim Munir, over alleged human rights abuses and the detention of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The legislation “Pakistan Democracy Act”, spearheaded by Republican Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina and Democrat Jimmy Panetta of California, shows Khan’s party’s effective lobbying to persuade the US lawmakers to scrutinize Pakistan’s internal affairs, particularly its treatment of political dissent.
The bill, introduced on March 25, 2025, leverages the US Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act to impose visa bans and entry restrictions on Pakistani officials deemed responsible for suppressing political opposition.
General Munir is specifically targeted in the bill, accused of “knowingly engaging in the wrongful persecution and imprisonment of political opponents,” including Khan.
Khan, once a star cricketer and later known as the “blue-eyed boy” of the country’s military, has been imprisoned for over a year on more than 180 charges ranging from rioting to terrorism and corruption, after being ousted in April 2022 by a no-confidence vote in parliament.
Khan has been embroiled in a tussle with the military since he was removed from power, which he claims was orchestrated by the country’s top generals at the behest of the US. The military denies this.
He and his party initially accused former military chief Qamar Javed Bajwa of orchestrating the “coup” against him.
The standoff intensified when his supporters were involved in violent protests, including attacks on military buildings, following his brief arrest in May 2023. The government and army have since cracked
Pakistan’s military has historically wielded significant influence over civilian governance, ruling the country directly for nearly half of its history.
The bill’s text underscores concerns about military interference in governance, stating that sanctions would be lifted only if Pakistan “ends military interference in governance” and releases “all wrongfully detained political detainees.”
Analysts said the bill’s language echoes longstanding tensions between Pakistan’s civilian leadership and its powerful military establishment.
The government has yet to issue an official response to the bill, but analysts suggest that Islamabad may seek to delay or mitigate its impact through backchannel negotiations.
At a recent diplomatic reception in Washington, Pakistani officials downplayed the bill’s prospects, emphasising Pakistan’s role as a key security partner in the region, Dawn newspaper reported.
They pointed to recent cooperation with the US, including the arrest and deportation of an IS-K terrorist, as evidence of Pakistan’s strategic importance.
However, Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, described the legislation as “one of the most significant pieces of legislation on Pakistan in quite some time.”
“It calls for steps that could lead to Magnitsky sanctions on Pakistan’s army chief. May be a long shot to pass, but it’ll spook Pakistan’s leadership,” Kugelman wrote on the social media platform X.
https://x.com/MichaelKugelman/status/1904377974780002759
Some analysts note that the bill’s path to enactment is uncertain, given the US’s historical prioritization of security cooperation over human rights in its dealings with Pakistan.
Similar resolutions, such as one passed in June 2024, have not led to concrete action, suggesting that symbolic gestures may outweigh substantive policy shifts.
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