U.S. Congress Holds Hearing on Political Repression and Media Crackdown in Pakistan

Jalil Afridi

Washington DC: The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission held a high-level congressional hearing on Tuesday titled “Pakistan: Ongoing Political Repression,” drawing sharp attention to the Pakistani military’s growing grip on the country’s political and media landscape. The hearing, held in the Rayburn House Office Building, was co-chaired by Representatives Chris Smith (R–NJ) and James P. McGovern (D–MA).

A number of U.S. lawmakers, human rights experts, and exiled Pakistani political leaders participated in the hearing, which laid bare allegations of rigged elections, suppression of press freedom, torture in detention, and persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan.

Former Deputy Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri and former Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Dr. Shahbaz Gill were present at the hearing and described in detail their arrests, torture, and harassment by Pakistani security agencies. They characterized the current government as a “military-installed regime” that has dismantled constitutional safeguards.

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D–MN) strongly condemned the targeting of journalists and mentioned the tragic assassination of journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya in 2022, calling it “a heartbreaking reminder of the threats journalists face simply for doing their job.” Omar noted that Pakistan’s media has faced “a climate of fear, censorship, and violence” for the past three years.

Senior PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari gave a damning account of election manipulation and state-sponsored repression. He informed the Commission that the PTI’s election symbol was unlawfully withdrawn, elections were delayed without justification, and hundreds of PTI candidates were either disqualified, jailed, or harassed. He said that Form-47s were forged to show false victories for establishment-backed candidates, and the entire process was engineered to keep Imran Khan’s party out of power.

Bukhari also stated that Imran Khan has been subjected to the worst forms of torture in prison, and that his wife Bushra Bibi has also been detained under humiliating conditions. He highlighted that PTI workers were shot dead by security forces during peaceful protests in Islamabad last year and that for the first time in Pakistan’s history, civilians are being tried in military courts.

Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (D–OR) and Suhas Subramanyam (D–VA) also expressed grave concern over the human rights violations and pressed for a reassessment of U.S. aid and military cooperation with Pakistan.

Chairman Chris Smith (R–NJ) concluded the hearing by announcing that he would be writing a formal letter to President Donald Trump to inform him of the testimony presented and to request urgent diplomatic engagement on the matter. “The situation demands the immediate attention of the White House,” Smith said.

The Commission is expected to issue follow-up recommendations, including visa bans, targeted sanctions, and aid conditionality, as pressure mounts on Pakistan to restore democratic processes and protect civil liberties.