On Monday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party officially distanced itself from a bipartisan bill introduced in the US House of Representatives that seeks to impose sanctions on Pakistani state officials.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan addressed the media at the Parliament House, clarifying that his party has no involvement with the proposed legislation in the US Congress. This response came after the introduction of the “Pakistan Democracy Act,” a bill aiming to impose sanctions on Pakistani officials accused of human rights violations, including the alleged persecution of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The bill seeks to invoke the US Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which would allow the US government to deny visas and entry to individuals found guilty of human rights abuses.
In his statement, Gohar emphasized that while various legislations and resolutions are regularly passed in the US, PTI has no connection to this particular bill. He further clarified that the party is not engaged with the US delegation currently in Pakistan.
The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also dismissed the bill as an initiative from a single legislator, noting that its timing does not align with the positive trajectory of Pakistan-US bilateral relations. A spokesperson for the Ministry stressed that Pakistan remains committed to upholding constitutionalism, rule of law, and human rights.
Responding to questions about PTI’s internal dynamics, Gohar noted that the party is finalizing its future strategy in collaboration with opposition parties. He revealed that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman will announce his decision on April 15 regarding the joint opposition’s plans for an anti-government movement after Eid ul Fitr.
Meanwhile, PTI has been working on forming a large opposition alliance to launch a campaign against the government, following the directives of Imran Khan. In April 2024, PTI formed the Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP), a coalition that includes several key opposition parties such as Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), and others.
Regarding internal disagreements within PTI, Gohar emphasized that the party values democratic expression but urged leaders to resolve issues internally rather than in public.
