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US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi launched a scathing attack on the spiralling "political repression" orchestrated by Islamabad, strongly urging Washington to demand the immediate release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.
In a sharply worded social media statement on Wednesday, the Democratic representative from Illinois censured the US administration for its ongoing policy of "continuing to embrace" Pakistan's military chief Asim Munir while the regime aggressively detains political opponents and dismantles democratically elected provincial structures. "As Pakistan's government arrests opposition leaders and suspends an elected provincial government, President Trump continues to embrace its military chief," Krishnamoorthi stated on X. Amplifying his condemnation, the US lawmaker stressed that Washington's current diplomatic posture enables authoritarian overreach rather than upholding democratic values. "The United States should stand with the Pakistani people, not enable political repression. We must press for the release of political prisoners, including Imran Khan," he added. The severe censure from Capitol Hill follows an authoritarian power grab in Islamabad, where Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari declared a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, October 11, 2026, under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution of Pakistan. The decree was enacted to unilaterally suspend the province's elected administration and install direct Governor's Rule, shifting all administrative and political control to the provincial governor, who acts on behalf of the federal regime. In line with the emergency decree, the regime has launched a sweeping crackdown against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, arresting numerous key figures, including provincial chief minister Sohail Afridi, in a blatant bid to crush political dissent. (ANI)
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