Democrat calls for sanctions over violent clashes in Pakistan

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) denounced Pakistan’s chief of army staff Wednesday for allegedly killing citizens and confiscating death records from medics in an effort to subdue growing protests in the nation’s capital.

“Horrified by reports of an attempted cover-up of the alleged killings of peaceful protesters by Asim Munir's regime in Pakistan,” Khanna wrote on social platform X.

“The US must impose visa bans and asset freezes on senior officials in the military regime,” he said.

The Guardian reported army officials unleashed tear gas and open gunfire on civilians in Islamabad amid protests to release former Prime Minister Imran Khan from prison. Khan has been held in prison for nearly a year on more than 100 charges that he claims were spurred by political opponents.

Demonstrators led by Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, raided the capital Tuesday, burning shipping containers. This spurred violent pushback from the military, which was given “shoot to kill” orders, according to The Guardian's reporting.

Later on Tuesday, officials instated a power blackout as a operation to move the crowd out began.

The minister for information and broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, said there had been no firing on PTI party protesters and no fatalities. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said in a statement that officers had “bravely repulsed the protesters” as reported by The Guardian.

However, other numbers suggested at least 17 people were dead.

“All records of dead and injured have been confiscated by authorities. We are not allowed to talk. Senior government officials are visiting the hospital to hide the records,” one doctor told the outlet on the condition of anonymity.

Pakistan reopened the capital Wednesday after four days of a lockdown, sparking a global response from lawmakers.

“The brutal repression of protesters in Pakistan and growing political violence is an attempt to suppress democracy and human rights,” Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) wrote on X.

“I stand with the brave Pakistanis who are rising up and protesting for change.”