Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned in a conversation with Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington that the safety of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan is the United States’ top priority, according to people familiar with the exchange. told The Intercept.
Schumer, the most powerful Democrat in Congress, issued a warning to Pakistan late last month amid concerns that Pakistan’s military could harm former Prime Minister Khan, who was ousted from public office in 2022. It was issued in response to intense activities by the Pakistani diaspora.
“The Pakistani-American diaspora feels disappointed by the U.S. government’s failure to engage with Pakistani power brokers and hold them accountable for blatant human rights violations.”
“What Chuck Schumer said to the ambassador about Imran Khan’s safety is very constructive,” Mohammad Munir Khan, a Pakistani-American political activist in the United States, told The Intercept. “Pakistani-American diaspora feels disappointed in the US government’s failure to engage Pakistani power brokers and hold them accountable for blatant human rights violations and destruction of the fundamental foundations of democracy. .”
Imran Khan is currently in jail on corruption charges that are widely seen as politically motivated. Khan, considered Pakistan’s most popular politician, was ousted from power in April 2022 in a no-confidence vote orchestrated by the country’s powerful military and encouraged by the United States. Since then, Mr Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, has faced a brutal crackdown on the PTI, sparking international alarm and condemnation from human rights groups.
Concerns about Khan’s life prompted Schumer to call Pakistan’s ambassador, Masood Khan, over whether the military would address Khan’s enduring popularity by simply ending his career. This reflects the growing concern that (Mr. Schumer’s office declined to comment for this story. The Pakistani embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)
Schumer’s support, who represents New York’s large and vocal Pakistani-American community, comes despite public discontent over February’s election, which was rife with fraud. This came as Japan sought to consolidate its power.
In addition to banning PTI, Pakistan carried out a harsh crackdown ahead of the February vote. Record turnout suggested that candidates aligned with the PTI had an advantage. However, ignoring widespread fraud, a coalition of political parties backed by Pakistan’s military succeeded in forming a government led by Shehbaz Sharif in the aftermath of the vote.
The international community, including the United States, has called out voting irregularities, with credible allegations of voter fraud and serious irregularities emerging in the election.
“There is undeniable evidence that there was something wrong with this election, and the State Department agrees with that,” Rep. Greg Cassar, D-Texas, told The Intercept in March. At the time, Mr. Cassar and other lawmakers had just asked President Joe Biden to withhold confirmation of the administration, but Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington congratulated Mr. Sharif in early March.
“There is undeniable evidence that this election was flawed, and the State Department agrees with that.”
Foreign policy experts in Washington said the Biden administration’s approach risks violating democratic principles in the name of national security. Matt Das, executive vice president of the Center for International Policy, said: “This is an example of an administration condoning a security relationship with a foreign government to the exclusion of other serious concerns, such as democratic backsliding and human rights.” It seems like.”
Imran Khan himself is reportedly being held in deplorable conditions in a prison in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi. His visiting privileges were abruptly suspended for two weeks last month, raising concerns from his supporters about his health in custody. Earlier this month, one of his lawyers claimed that his doctor was not allowed to visit him in prison. Mr Khan’s wife is in prison on politically motivated charges of non-Islamic marriage and expropriation. reportedly According to the magazine, she suffered from health problems due to her confinement. remarks from her lawyer this week.
In a statement given to reporters in prison and afterward. shared Khan, who was injured in an assassination attempt at a political rally in November 2022, claimed on social media that there was a plot to kill him in prison. Mr Khan suggested his fate was in the hands of General Asim Munir, Pakistan’s powerful army chief.
“I want him to know that if anything happens to me or my wife, he will be responsible,” Khan said.
But Schumer’s call to Pakistan’s ambassador could influence the military’s calculations about killing Khan. Adam Weinstein, deputy director of the Quincy Institute’s Middle East program, said, “Democratic leaders who are influential in the Biden administration are issuing warnings, and this is somewhat serious.” He added that he did not believe he would kill him. .
Although an extreme step, it would fit the pattern of Pakistan’s history for the military to harm or kill a ousted leader, even one as popular as Khan. While several Pakistani leaders have died violent deaths over the past few decades due to feuds with the military, some under unclear circumstances, Zulfiqar Some, like former prime minister Ali Bhutto, were executed by military rulers after being removed from power.
Although currently nominally led by a civilian government, Pakistan’s military is widely known for its political control over the country, currently led by Munir, and in close ties with Khan and his party. The clashes have been the country’s main political storyline for more than a year.
For Pakistani activists in the U.S., the U.S.-Pakistan relationship creates leverage to keep Khan from being killed in prison. “The least the US government can do is to prevent Imran Khan from being physically harmed,” said Mohammad Munir Khan, a Pakistani-American activist.
Photo: Abdul Majeed/AFP via Getty Images
capitol hill hearing
The United States has played an outsized role in Pakistan’s internal politics, especially in the past few years, including a pivotal role in ousting Mr. Khan from power.
In August 2023, The Intercept reported on and made public Pakistan’s secret diplomatic cables. Although the contents of the diplomatic cable remained unknown, it was a controversial document at the center of political drama, with Khan’s removal from power coming after intense pressure on Pakistan. It shows that Government of Pakistan by U.S. State Department officials.
In a cable, Donald Lew, the State Department’s assistant secretary of state for South Asia, told Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington that relations between the two countries would be seriously damaged if Khan remained in power. is reported.
“If the no-confidence motion against the prime minister is successful, I think everything will be forgiven in Washington,” Lu said, according to the Pakistan Telegraph.
Since Mr. Khan’s ouster, the United States has worked closely with Pakistan’s new military-backed government. The Intercept previously reported that Pakistan provided arms to Ukraine in return for the United States brokering a favorable International Monetary Fund loan package.
Before his imprisonment, Khan frequently referred to the secret code and even claimed to brandish a physical copy during political rallies. He now faces a lengthy prison sentence on charges related to his handling of classified information, in addition to the numerous corruption charges on which he was initially detained.
In the context of a widespread crackdown on Mr. Khan’s party (including murders, extrajudicial disappearances, and torture of PTI supporters and members of the media), most observers believe that Mr. Khan’s continued imprisonment is a threat to him and his They believe it is a politically motivated ploy to shut down the movement. of power.
After this year’s election, as Cazale and other members of Congress questioned Khan’s removal and vote, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing with Assistant Secretary of State Lew.
Mr. Lu, the sole witness, denied any involvement in Pakistan’s “regime change,” referring to Mr. Khan’s comments about his role and the contents of the cable reported by The Intercept. It is.
Regarding the election, Mr. Lu paid lip service to concerns about how voter fraud could occur, but did not explain what the consequences of voter fraud would be.
“You all saw what our ambassador and embassy did,” Lu said, noting that the United States congratulated Pakistan’s new prime minister. Then he quickly added: “We emphasize the importance of accountability for election fraud in all our interactions with governments.”
“In the long run, it has never been in America’s interest to be seen as supporting an illegitimate military-led government.”
Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., raised the issue of Khan’s safety in custody during the hearing. Mr. Sherman urged Mr. Lu to meet Mr. Khan in person inside the prison, drawing applause from the mostly Pakistani audience.
“Regardless of political differences, ensuring the safety of our leaders is paramount,” said Atif Khan, a fellow Pakistani-American diaspora activist. “Congressman Brad Sherman rightly advocated for responsibility and protection, urging the U.S. Ambassador to visit former Prime Minister Imran Khan and prioritize his well-being.”
With Mr. Khan’s fate hanging in the balance, members of Congress have argued that continued U.S. support for a government that most Pakistanis consider illegitimate will undermine not just Pakistan but the U.S. position in key regions. It also warns that there is a risk of damage.
“Promoting democracy is important, but it’s also in our interests,” Cassar, a Texas Democrat, told The Intercept. “Regardless of short-term military interests, it is never in the long-term interest of the United States to be seen as supporting an illegitimate military-led government.”
