Pushing opposition party to the wall jeopardizes fair polls in Pakistan: Ilhan Omar

WASHINGTON: US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has expressed serious reservations about the conduct of free, fair, and impartial general election in Pakistan on February 8.

In a tweet on the social networking website ‘X’, Ilhan Omar said that free and fair elections cannot take place in Pakistan when one of the opposition parties has been declared criminal.

She further said that my colleagues and I expressed concern about human rights in Pakistan in November last year, and things have only gotten worse.

https://twitter.com/IlhanMN/status/1754233161205305486?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1754233161205305486%7Ctwgr%5E8a0c38da2db464fe19df5e73d780f2c5f5e4af17%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dawnnews.tv%2Fnews%2F1223776

Ilhan Omar further stated that the situation regarding human rights has worsened.

It may be recalled that in November last year, 11 members of the US Congress had urged the Biden administration to stop US aid to Pakistan in the future until the constitutional system in the country was restored and free and fair elections were held.

US lawmakers had requested the State Department to legally determine under the Leahy Laws and Section 502(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act whether US security assistance had facilitated human rights violations in Pakistan.

They wrote that we further request that Pakistan be stopped from providing security assistance until Pakistan moves decisively towards restoring the constitutional system, under which free and fair elections are held and all parties are eligible to participate freely.

The letter also mentioned the steps taken to strengthen the blasphemy law in Pakistan, and Anthony Blinken was warned that the proposed changes would be used to tighten the noose around small religious groups and minorities.

They had pointed out that the president’s signature on this bill was pending, despite repeated demands from many members of parliament for regular parliamentary procedure for the approval of this bill, it was approved in haste.

The lawmakers warned that religious persecution in Pakistan continues unabated and if this bill becomes law, we are concerned about future restrictions on freedom of religion and belief.

This move was initiated by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who is a champion of Muslim causes in the US Congress. Other signatories include Frank Pallone Jr, Joaquin Castro, Summer Lee, Ted W Lieu, Dina Titus, Lloyd Doggett, and Cory Bush.

Most of them were members of the progressive group of Congress, which played a key role in highlighting the issue of Palestine in Washington. They also participated in protest meetings and rallies calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

The latest report from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom states that religious minorities in Pakistan are particularly vulnerable to legal persecution or violence based on blasphemy allegations.

US lawmakers acknowledged the importance of Pakistan as a longstanding ally and stressed the need to address issues such as freedom of expression and religious restrictions, enforced disappearances, military courts, and the harassment and arrest of political opponents and human rights defenders.

They also mentioned the cases against PTI founder Imran Khan, stating that he could face the death penalty for blatantly violating the Official Secrets Act.

The letter also highlighted the case of human rights lawyer Iman Mazari, who was picked up from her home at 3 am without a warrant after speaking at a rally against enforced disappearances.

The letter urged the US embassy in Islamabad to send observers to the hearings and other legal proceedings of human rights activists and political leaders, including Iman Mazari, Khadija Shah, and Imran Khan.

The US lawmakers expressed their belief that America can play a constructive role in promoting positive change and expressed their hope that cooperation can help establish a fair future for the people of Pakistan.

They also offered to work with Secretary Anthony Blinken to promote human rights, democracy, and stability in Pakistan.