Pakistan rejects 'Democracy Act' bill by US lawmakers to sanction Pak army chief

Islamabad, March 27: The Pakistan Foreign Office (PFO) has taken a serious note of a bipartisan bill introduced by US lawmakers in the House of Representatives seeking sanctions against the country's state officials, including the Army Chief, over alleged human rights violations. Pakistan dismissed the bill on Thursday, calling it an "isolated act" and the opinion of individuals, which does not represent the bilateral relations between Islamabad and Washington.

Pakistan also condemned the recent sanctions by the United States on various commercial entities of the country, terming them as another unilateral decision taken without any consultation, evidence or proof.

"We are aware of the bill introduced in the US Congress. It reflects the opinion of an individual and not the broader US-Pakistan ties", said Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan during a weekly press briefing on Thursday.

Pakistan's response comes after two US lawmakers introduced a bill in the House of Representatives, calling for imposition of sanctions against the Pakistani government and the Pakistan Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir for alleged persecution of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and the alleged human rights violations. The bill proposes imposition of sanctions within 180 days if the country fails to take steps to improve its human rights situation.

The bill titled 'The Pakistan Democracy Act' was introduced by Republican Congressman Joe Wilson and Democratic Congressman Jimmy Panetta. It was later referred to the House Foreign Affairs and Judiciary Committee for review.

The bill also seeks to invoke the US Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, allowing the United States to deny visas and entry to individuals accused of committing human rights violations.

The bill must be passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate and then signed by US President Donald Trump to become law.

Experts say that while the bill may not go through with approval from the review, it certainly asserts pressure on the government and the military establishment in the country to give more space and leverage to former premier Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned on charges of corruption, sedition and incitement to violence. All charges have been termed as concocted and fake by the Khan and his party.