Brad Sherman, a congressman from the US, expressed concern over what he called Pakistan’s ongoing violations of democracy and human rights and urged the country’s leaders to uphold free speech and the rule of law.
Sherman is a Democrat who sits in the 32nd congressional district of California. He had earlier claimed to have spoken on the phone with Imran Khan, a former prime minister, and to have met Dr. Asif Mehmood, a philanthropist from Pakistan who is the Democratic challenger to Young Kim in the state’s 40th congressional district.
In a video message shared by the PTI today, Sherman, who was seated next to Dr. Mahmood, recalled that Pakistan and the United States have had diplomatic ties since the early 1940s. Over the years, the two nations have collaborated on a number of international and regional issues. He emphasized that America must support human rights and democracy everywhere, especially in Pakistan. “It is not the United States’ place to meddle in Pakistan’s internal political issues with regard to Pakistan’s democratic and constitutional system.
However, we must not be afraid to speak out in favor of democracy and human rights in Pakistan or elsewhere. “Every government, including the government of Pakistan, should respect the right of the people to speak, to organize, and to demonstrate,” he said. Everyone wished for a “calm, orderly, democratic, and prosperous Pakistan where Pakistanis can have the freedom to have an open and political dialogue,” according to the American congressman. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), with whom the nation is in talks for a long-delayed loan program, was also in favor of a stable Pakistan that upheld the law, he continued.
Sherman highlighted that the country was facing a host of internal and external challenges, saying that growing extremism, intolerance, and dissent were threatening Pakistan’s prospects for social cohesion.He also mentioned the recent bombing at the Peshawar Police Lines mosque in which nearly 80 people — mostly policemen — were killed.“The inability of state institutions to reliably provide peaceful ways to resolve grievances is the vacuum which is being exploited by extremism.”Sherman said that he was particularly alarmed at the incident of “custodial torture” and “sexual abuse” of PTI leaders Shahbaz Gill and Azam Swati.He also mentioned the “brutal deaths” of journalist Arshad Sharif — who was shot dead in Kenya last year — and PTI worker Zille Shah, who the party claims was killed during the crackdown on its March 8 election rally.
“This is not what you would like to see in a democratic country,” Sherman stressed.Equally condemnable, he continued, were the cases and media bans on former prime minister Imran Khan.“Now I am not here to support any political office in Pakistan, I am not here to support Mr Imran … in fact, I disagree with him on a number of international issues nor is it my role to wade into Pakistan politics.“Rather I am advocating for the freedom of speech, due process and the even application of the rule of law in Pakistan,” Sherman stated.He added that US Congress was monitoring the situation in Pakistan and was ready to dispense any kind of help to the government regarding human rights.“Pakistani authorities should investigate the alleged abuses and hold accountable anyone who is responsible. Most importantly, we urge the authorities to make sure that going forward people are free and we don’t see political figures and citizens who simply want to participate in the process subjected to anti-democratic acts,” the US congressman said.
