Pakistan: Ongoing Political Repression

Hearing Notice

Please join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for a hearing on the ongoing repression of political opposition by the government of Pakistan. The hearing 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 in Pakistan.

In the 77 years since Pakistan became independent in 1947, its governments have had a generally poor record of respect for human rights and democracy. The Pakistani military has directly governed Pakistan for 33 of those 77 years. In its Freedom in the World 2024 report, Freedom House noted that in Pakistan, “the military exerts enormous influence over government formation and policies, intimidates the media, and enjoys impunity for indiscriminate or extralegal use of force.”

Many date the current phase of repression in Pakistan to 2022, when, with the involvement of the Pakistan military, popular Prime Minister Imran Khan was ousted, and soon after, arrested, convicted of corruption, and imprisoned. His political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and many of his followers were sharply repressed. Parliamentary elections in February 2024 were, according to the U.S. State Department, marked by “undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly,” as well as “electoral violence, and restrictions on the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

The U.S. State Department’s 2023 Country Report on Human Rights Practices notes significant human rights issues perpetrated or tolerated by the government of Pakistan. These include enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings, persecution of religious and ethnic minorities, and transnational repression. The hearing will give Members of Congress, congressional staff, the public, and the media the latest information on the crisis in Pakistan and the challenges facing democracy and human rights.

Witnesses will discuss the government of Pakistan’s ongoing political repression, the U.S. response, and offer recommendations for Congress.

• Zulfi Bukhari, Advisor to Imran Khan on International Affairs and International Media
• Jared Genser, Managing Director, Perseus Strategies
• Sadiq Amini, Founder, Afghanistan Impact Network  
• Ben Linden, Advocacy Director, Europe and Central Asia, Amnesty International

The hearing will be held in person and is open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the interested public, and the media. The public and the media may attend in person or watch the hearing live by webcast on the Commission's website. The hearing will also be available on the House digital Channel. For any questions, please contact Mark Milosch (Co-Chair Smith) or Todd Stein (Co-Chair McGovern).

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