Minnesota's 5th Congressional District | Ilhan Omar facebook page
Minnesota's 5th Congressional District | Ilhan Omar facebook page
WASHINGTON—Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) released the following statement on the deteriorating situation in Pakistan.
"I am deeply concerned about the rapidly deteriorating situation in Pakistan, including violent clashes that have left at least eight people dead and 300 injured. In recent days, following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistani police have used excessive force against protesters, cut off cell phone service, and restricted social media platforms. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies have regularly carried out extrajudicial killings of prominent government critics and arbitrary detentions of political prisoners, in addition to blanket bans on demonstrations.
"These actions fly in the face of basic human rights and democratic values.
"When I visited Pakistan last year, I met with both Prime Minister Sharif and former Prime Minister Khan and emphasized the importance of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Pakistan. It is in the interest of the Pakistani people, regional and global security that these values are upheld.
"I urge the Pakistani government to comply with the recent Supreme Court ruling finding that Khan’s arrest was unlawful and ordering his immediate release, and respect the human rights of all Pakistanis. I urge the Biden Administration to engage their counterparts in the Pakistani Administration and urge them to prevent any further erosion of democratic protections."
Issues: Foreign Policy
Original source can be found here.
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