[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6171217,"mediaKeyId","5394753-02438bd24b6f7d5a60b63e6c5e069ddf","parentId",5394753,"title","Congress hears testimony that political repression in Pakistan exacerbates women's rights gaps and rolls back protections for gender-diverse people","audioSeconds",306,"startMs",3769000,"endMs",4075000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5394753-02438bd24b6f7d5a60b63e6c5e069ddf&start=3769&end=4075","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5394753-02438bd24b6f7d5a60b63e6c5e069ddf/thumbnail_3769000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6171217/Congress-hears-testimony-that-political-repression-in-Pakistan-exacerbates-womens-rights-gaps-and-rolls-back-protections-for-gender-diverse-people","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6171217-d8ef71e87ea5d6058c951cd7186e1e40/orig.mp4?Expires=1770423073&Signature=NqEz~Ow5HlIcURMZOfBS2ubWS3VybZFqob6gxvbaUpVc7fwWuRAt4gpTx2VsIA712syLFK7vumetcFgvFga5nCasO84Azd80z35f2C0BBArNqpLYMcXLEwUFdGsWS2lF-DcOPzHidwfl0cfe0Q18i9SCG0QtsFrOa9YXFeFUotvLW9gQ0Hr42wc-w~WqTQoRRnjhrXsX9WZh2zhwfGeTc405fPC71oF-kLH9xsbii0oKiKpN26DZ3nTlWKYzaacOS8qJIgAZnqLbzy9rKszMz6-yWTl~8VrxBL5wbizvZ8GyoY3bBTbtxHWXkUYeVUq8YEypNex2Nz2cs2L66Cj~9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission","date","2025-07-16T04:02:53.487Z","article","“The way they are behaving abroad, the way they are behaving internally, it's all correlated,” Sadiq Amini said when describing how political decisions and alignment with the Taliban affected women and gender equality in Pakistan and the region.

Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici opened a line of questioning noting that Pakistan ranks 145 out of 146 countries on the global gender gap index and that female labor-force participation stands at about 22 percent versus roughly 81 percent for men, figures she cited to frame the hearing's gender discussion. Witnesses linked the broader democratic rollback to worsening economic and civic opportunities for women.

Ben Linden highlighted legal reversals and implementation gaps affecting gender diverse people. He told the commission that the Transgender Persons (Protection) Act of 2018, which provided legal recognition and certain protections, had been rolled back by the federal Shariah court and was being challenged in the Supreme Court. Linden also said Pakistan had failed to pass and implement a domestic violence prevention and protection bill despite international commitments.

Witnesses gave statistics and examples they said demonstrate the scope of gender-based violence and impunity. Linden cited reporting of 531 \"honor killings\" recorded between January and November of the previous year and said there is a culture of impunity that discourages reporting.

Panelists recommended that the commission hold future hearings that bring testimony from Pakistani women, gender-diverse people, and refugees to provide direct accounts of how political and legal shifts affect rights on the ground.

The hearing record contains no formal U.S. policy decision on these issues; witnesses called for further oversight and attention from Congress.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Pakistan: Ongoing Political Repression","oneSentenceSummary","Witnesses told the commission that political repression in Pakistan has worsened structural gender inequality, cited low female labor-force participation and rollback of transgender protections, and called for hearings that include testimony from women and gender-diverse Pakistanis.","taxTitle","Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission: House Commission, Commissions and Caucuses - House and Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1969,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6171220,"Amnesty tells Congress Baloch activists, Ahmadis face arrests, disappearances and blasphemy-linked violence in Pakistan",132,1817000,1949000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5394753-02438bd24b6f7d5a60b63e6c5e069ddf&start=1817&end=1949","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5394753-02438bd24b6f7d5a60b63e6c5e069ddf/thumbnail_1817000.jpg","/articles/6171220/Amnesty-tells-Congress-Baloch-activists-Ahmadis-face-arrests-disappearances-and-blasphemy-linked-violence-in-Pakistan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6171220-4b9da394cd50ed081c3358ebd8f5b68f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770423073&Signature=RZ7wlAB9OLjm8WTHOd-pfW0ZtUPTcqgWvWOMmj2H9QOIQz~eeAF~w4uiQIsg3uvSz6UvunQ9-HQ15~AWMtndYRGa8h7reP3mjcxiSpBu1mccq2ADxI6pMpBKe6j1M7ZtUxp6gAK~CDosd975Yf~mLu8B3b9xbdH7YxBJWij7v9Wt6MwUZMpra7K6lPf8W-4kTT7oh8uZ4f4VDQcIGlRYrrjdXtLaDzQm5hr3y66qVyFFnN45vRxgfr~CHDkml9OPiWWsA5abWrpwJJ6et-3LQ2YprODOSmve7~fu7mQ8RzucWcv2EzcBEnc7LXdaBuRYSLFogQib~fONemipgF~UQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ben Linden of Amnesty International told the commission that Baloch activists faced a campaign of enforced disappearances and that amendments to provincial law in Balochistan permit prolonged detention without charge. \"Doctor Marang Baluch and other activists have not been given due process and should be freed,\" Linden said.

Linden described recent episodes in which detained Baloch activists were relocated without family access and cited an abduction followed by the discovery of a bullet-riddled body as part of a pattern of extrajudicial violence.

On religious freedom, witnesses said Pakistan’s penal code and practice continue to discriminate against the Ahmadi community. Linden said Ahmadis were prevented from identifying as Muslim in public and that local officials had forced affidavits barring Eid prayers. He told the commission that three Ahmadis had been killed since mid-April and that local authorities had in some cases detained Ahmadis, including children, outside places of worship.

Panelists highlighted concerns about blasphemy law enforcement: Linden said 344 new blasphemy cases were opened in 2024 alone and that 10 people accused of blasphemy were extrajudicially killed. He described a chilling effect on the ability of accused persons to defend themselves and cited calls for repeal of laws that discriminate against Ahmadis and for other protections.

Witnesses urged Congress to press Pakistani authorities to release detainees held for peaceful protest, halt enforced disappearances, and repeal or amend laws that enable religious discrimination and impunity.","Amnesty International and other witnesses told a congressional panel that Baloch activists have been forcibly disappeared, that provincial laws allow extended detention, and that Pakistan's blasphemy laws and discrimination against Ahmadis have led to arrests, killings and institutionalized restrictions on religious minorities.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6171225,"Witnesses urge U.S. to restore CARE office, TPS and SIV pathways as Pakistan deportations of Afghans rise",1794,1966000,3760000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5394753-02438bd24b6f7d5a60b63e6c5e069ddf&start=1966&end=3760","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5394753-02438bd24b6f7d5a60b63e6c5e069ddf/thumbnail_1966000.jpg","/articles/6171225/Witnesses-urge-US-to-restore-CARE-office-TPS-and-SIV-pathways-as-Pakistan-deportations-of-Afghans-rise","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6171225-77588dd099e15fdf8f992a5c371b6990/orig.mp4?Expires=1770423073&Signature=l2-5vWQXGjJ0-sVOJkM8LnYuavRX8dsOKioJFV35hkF8NngPqWwU0QRGL9AbE7JE8FE70qLR~YA0jWvpYgVoOPwKJ3oDCvUBnC6USJDGGcyxC-9SP5Rn4N1WVfaGVF6UqDTBh~Q1EJDf6qwu5Hmi4bx-3ucVGYZJAs1-k2uwMaV3RjBGuB6AJ5chRgyZh6yukiFc1KmAVl22BhedvauLXLHXRBCTsi6N65XnHgiMa1wl6vbx2AtpebUZ6b8i4aAon4JM8ELXwennnq1g~RECPstDJsRrUQE1-1U78MbuMiCbM2g5DBe5S23-8rflEfms8cCoy03VEU4XnkRm9A4y4g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","“Since then, more than a million Afghan nationals have been forcibly returned to Afghanistan,” Ben Linden of Amnesty International told the commission as he described Pakistan’s 2023 deportation plan and the humanitarian risks he said deportations posed to Afghans.

Linden and other witnesses urged Congress to restore programs and processing that helped resettle Afghans at risk. They called for reconstituting the State Department’s CARE office and reversing its recent dismantlement, extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans already in the United States, and accelerating processing of P-1/P-2 and Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for those who assisted U.S. forces.

Witnesses said Afghan refugees remaining in Pakistan face arbitrary detention, harassment, and extortion, and that many in line for U.S. relocation were stuck in limbo. Amnesty’s testimony described individual cases of journalists, activists, and women who said they feared return to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

Panelists pointed to international obligations: Ben Linden said forcible returns in the scale described would violate the principle of nonrefoulement under international human rights law. Several witnesses asked the commission to press the administration to restore institutional capacity and long-standing refugee admission channels.

Members of Congress at the hearing also raised the domestic policy connection: witnesses urged that the United States maintain pathways for allied Afghans and to use oversight and appropriations power to restore or support processing functions that had bipartisan backing in previous years.

The hearing included no binding decision; co-chairs asked staff to pursue follow-up with the administration and referenced letters and oversight tools to press for restoration of refugee processing and TPS protections.","Human rights witnesses told a congressional hearing that Pakistan’s phased deportation plan and forcible returns have sent more than a million Afghans home and that the United States should restore the CARE office, extend temporary protected status and resume refugee processing for Afghans with pending Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs).",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6171230,"Witnesses tell Congress Google removed Pakistani critics’ YouTube channels amid pressure; journalists face exile and assassination",1905,832000,2737000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5394753-02438bd24b6f7d5a60b63e6c5e069ddf&start=832&end=2737","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5394753-02438bd24b6f7d5a60b63e6c5e069ddf/thumbnail_832000.jpg","/articles/6171230/Witnesses-tell-Congress-Google-removed-Pakistani-critics-YouTube-channels-amid-pressure-journalists-face-exile-and-assassination","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6171230-5807873bb6e532bac882626b1e7dd249/orig.mp4?Expires=1770423073&Signature=hXiKweuGdf7Kh6b27fAF2c7aGOuWgbxVsB0PlMKrCavJ2WVti8cFII72InoqKWPvCEIV8FsPSTRmwNIQGiLj7hpMyBAUOwp~7euE5HSFuu~3mOjwXHhrSmdXBVCEzLiWEqD~tCWuf17yRnoUy9oW239UHX4aJ3X1fHSXyP5LL2AwNs2qFVzY3nTj-HjXIhiddwu24JvcB8bhwP7rTHaT~Pflhhebwh6-SCekjbXY4pE7vYhwStOd3cCHF510Gqpb8jcD1HOH2mwo35XAaUsnTF8hWJrMeTjZbDhiRawZLaTUDnTHOs0g3I7Fu2-tvOdF72uoiqwwMS4gF8bENRBdhg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","“Google shouldn't be looking to local corridors in Pakistan for what to do,” Jared Genser, a human rights lawyer testifying to the commission, said of recent platform takedowns. “They should be looking to its own standards,” he said, arguing YouTube should apply its global content rules rather than comply with arbitrary local orders.

Panelists told the commission that Pakistan’s authorities and magistrates have pressured Google and other platforms to remove or restrict access to channels critical of the government, including channels used by journalists and opposition figures. Witnesses said a Pakistani court order led to removal requests for at least 27 YouTube channels that had criticized the government and PTI supporters.

Ben Linden, advocacy director for Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty International USA, told the commission that press freedom in Pakistan has been “totally and completely eviscerated,” citing blocked websites and the throttling of Internet access. He and other witnesses said broadcasters are being banned from naming Imran Khan or the party in some contexts and that some outlets and anchors have gone into exile or taken sabbaticals.

Panelists pointed to the 2022\t2024 pattern of harassment: journalists arrested or intimidated, YouTube channels removed pursuant to court orders, and the assassination in exile of journalist Arshad Sharif. One witness described the aftermath of that killing: “after Arshad Sharif's death, you see all the top 5, 10 journalists who are the best anchors ... are either in exile or they've taken gardening leave,” a witness said.

Witnesses noted that a Pakistani court later suspended some blocking orders but argued platform compliance sets a dangerous precedent when private companies accede to potentially unlawful or politically motivated takedown requests. Lawmakers at the hearing said they would seek meetings with Google and press platforms to ask how the company applied its policies and whether it yielded to political pressure.

The commission did not record a formal action at the hearing beyond directions from the co-chairs to arrange engagement with tech companies.","Panelists at a congressional hearing said Pakistan’s government pressured digital platforms to remove critics, described widespread censorship and the exile or assassination of journalists, and urged U.S. congressional pressure on tech companies.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6171234,"Witnesses tell Congress Pakistan’s 2024 election was “neither free nor fair,” describe judicial capture and military trials of civilians",706,122000,828000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5394753-02438bd24b6f7d5a60b63e6c5e069ddf&start=122&end=828","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5394753-02438bd24b6f7d5a60b63e6c5e069ddf/thumbnail_122000.jpg","/articles/6171234/Witnesses-tell-Congress-Pakistans-2024-election-was-neither-free-nor-fair-describe-judicial-capture-and-military-trials-of-civilians","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6171234-dfc69b74e3f8d499959a7e340ce1c1be/orig.mp4?Expires=1770423073&Signature=jpEsemzoYzaLKmO~WDppXCJt-7ejVb2InN1e-bnZhZBY0zT1GUEe-XBG8uWhjkxe5JsgoR0FAQhj1gyQb7I7GUxSY0T1kK6GBRmEiTqdQ5fPJJzRYzeXsTX3eSKDEtOSIeRTNsM1HptNRiXddtAiNMUMQ7mvIUqmCdSa~KSahpd9J~flHJEeSl1cSqCZgZ9wD5ABdkCcJYi4GdE-BLy8ZU5S4x7AAYs1JpdvVnzNUVlKYePo6V5rIJFvGxxy39ic21UU4xQ7NfFQW5ncqgIXqU0YeVwS7cMpY~WnK~GgMKWl2yOoAT16Ewk-JK3XtXWlF~xx4PwIdNXjvlEBZ4jglA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sadiq Amini, a witness testifying before the commission, told members, “Pakistan’s 2024 elections were neither free nor fair.” He described months-long manipulation of the vote, including restrictions on party symbols, rejected nomination papers, and candidates forced to run as independents.

Amini and other witnesses told the commission why U.S. policymakers should care: they said the alleged electoral manipulation was followed by changes to judicial appointments and the use of special military tribunals that they described as tools to silence dissent and criminalize opponents.

Amini said the manipulation included “votes results were all changed” in the hours after polls closed, and he described ballot tallies that exceeded the number of registered voters in some constituencies. He told the commission the 2024 vote-counting process produced results that could not be reconciled with constituency populations.

Witnesses described a constitutional change they referred to repeatedly as the “20 sixth constitutional amendment” that, in their testimony, restructured judicial appointments and weakened judicial independence. Amini said previously judicial selections “were driven largely by senior judges themselves,” and that the amendment “subordinates the independence of judiciary to political interest.” He cited specific constitutional guarantees, referencing “article 175” and “article 10” as protections the witnesses said were at risk.

Panelists also detailed the use of military trials for civilians since May 2023. Amini told the commission that after May 9, 2023, military courts convicted “104 civilians, mostly PTI supporters, voters, or activists,” and said those trials had a “100% conviction rate.” He said family members and lawyers were barred from proceedings, that judgments and charge sheets had not been published, and that appeals were routed to military authorities rather than ordinary civilian appellate courts. “These trials were held in secret in dark rooms where family and public were barred from attending,” Amini said.

Witnesses connected the legal changes and prosecutions to the detention and treatment of high-profile politicians. Amini described solitary confinement and reported conditions in custody for former prime minister Imran Khan and others, saying they were held “in solitary confinement for over 23 hours a day” and alleging degrading conditions and intimidation in custody.

The hearing record also includes references to international standards. Witnesses invoked article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and statements from the U.N. working group on arbitrary detention and the International Commission of Jurists when describing risks to fair trial guarantees.

The commission’s co-chairs closed the panel by saying they would press the administration and pursue congressional options. The hearing produced no formal vote; co-chairs said staff would draft a letter to Pakistani leaders and discuss sanctions and other policy steps with colleagues.

Background and context: witnesses framed the events as part of broader political repression that followed the 2024 ballot, placing the election, judicial changes, and prosecutions in a single sequence of developments that they say curtailed plural politics and the independence of institutions.

The commission’s next steps, as stated in the hearing, include follow-up correspondence to Pakistani officials and additional oversight work in Congress.","Witnesses at a congressional hearing said Pakistan’s February 8, 2024, elections were rigged, described changes to judicial appointment rules they said subordinated the courts to the executive and alleged mass use of military courts and secret trials that produced mass convictions of political opponents.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Congress hears testimony that political repression in Pakistan exacerbates women's rights gaps and rolls back protections for gender-diverse people

Amnesty tells Congress Baloch activists, Ahmadis face arrests, disappearances and blasphemy-linked violence in Pakistan

Witnesses urge U.S. to restore CARE office, TPS and SIV pathways as Pakistan deportations of Afghans rise

Witnesses tell Congress Google removed Pakistani critics’ YouTube channels amid pressure; journalists face exile and assassination

Witnesses tell Congress Pakistan’s 2024 election was “neither free nor fair,” describe judicial capture and military trials of civilians