US Congresswoman Highlights Concerns: Pakistan’s Elections Not Fair Amid Opposition Criminalization

US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar criticized Pakistan’s democratic process, stating that the country cannot conduct “free and fair elections when one of the opposition parties has been criminalized.” Omar voiced her concerns on X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing that the situation has worsened since raising human rights issues in Pakistan in November. Her comments come three days before Pakistan’s elections, where various cases against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and party members have been expedited. In November, Omar and 10 Democrat colleagues wrote to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken expressing deep concern about human rights violations in Pakistan. The letter urged a comprehensive review of US assistance to Pakistan under the Leahy Act and Section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act. The lawmakers called for withholding security assistance until Pakistan moved towards restoring constitutional order, emphasizing the importance of free and fair elections. The letter also requested US embassy observers for hearings involving human rights defenders and political dissidents in Pakistan.