[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 901 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 901
Expressing support for democracy and human rights in Pakistan.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 30, 2023
Mr. McCormick (for himself and Mr. Kildee) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for democracy and human rights in Pakistan.
Whereas Pakistan is an important and valued partner of the United States;
Whereas in 2022, catastrophic monsoon rains in Pakistan left over one-third of
the country under water, affecting the lives of over 33,000,000
Pakistanis;
Whereas the United States Government has assisted Pakistan's recovery from the
devastating 2022 floods, including through resources to rebuild damaged
infrastructure, invest in clean energy, promote food security, and
support economic growth;
Whereas, on December 10, 1948, Pakistan became one of the original signatories
to, and supported the creation of, the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (UDHR);
Whereas, on June 23, 2010, Pakistan ratified the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights (ICCPR);
Whereas the Department of State 2022 Country Report on Human Rights Practices
reported ``significant human rights issues'' in Pakistan, including
unlawful, arbitrary, and extrajudicial killings, forced disappearance
and arbitrary detention by the State or its agents, the taking of
political prisoners, serious restrictions on free expression and media,
and substantial interference with the freedom of peaceful assembly and
freedom of association;
Whereas the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reported the Pakistani police
used excessive force on Pakistani citizens during at least 20 protests
in 2022, resulting in the death of at least 4 protesters and injuring
and detaining many others;
Whereas, on April 3, 2022, President Arif Alvi dissolved Pakistan's National
Assembly on the advice of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, but the
dissolution order was subsequently set aside by the Supreme Court of
Pakistan;
Whereas, on April 9, 2022, a vote of no-confidence motion in the National
Assembly against Imran Khan led to his removal as Prime Minister of
Pakistan;
Whereas, on April 11, 2022, Shehbaz Sharif was elected unopposed by the National
Assembly to replace Imran Khan as Prime Minister, as Pakistan Tehreek-e-
Insaf (PTI) members boycotted the vote and resigned en masse from the
National Assembly;
Whereas the Constitution of Pakistan states: ``When the National Assembly or a
Provincial Assembly is dissolved, a general election to the Assembly
shall be held within a period of ninety days after the dissolution'';
Whereas, on August 5, 2023, the results of the 2023 Census of Pakistan were
approved by the Council of Common Interests and the Election Commission
of Pakistan subsequently announced the postponement of elections until
January 2024 to redraw constituencies of the National Assembly to
reflect the 2023 Census;
Whereas, on August 10, 2023, President Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly
on the advice of the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif;
Whereas, on September 1, 2023, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said
the Government ``was committed to safeguarding and upholding the rights
of all its citizens'', and that the Government ``would provide
constitutional continuity till the next general elections are held in
the country'';
Whereas the Constitution of Pakistan states that ``the Federal Government shall
have control and command of the Armed Forces'', and the oath taken by
members of the Armed Forces swears they will ``uphold the Constitution''
and ``not engage in any political activities'';
Whereas an essential safeguard of democracy is civilian command and control of
apolitical military and security forces;
Whereas democracy, development, rule of law, and respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms are interdependent and mutually reinforcing;
Whereas President Biden in the March 2023 second Summit for Democracy called
strengthening democracy the ``defining challenge of our age''; and
Whereas, on March 28, 2023, the Government of Pakistan stated that ``Pakistan
would engage bilaterally with the United States . . . to promote and
strengthen democratic principles and values and work towards advancing
human rights and the fight against corruption'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) affirms its strong support for democracy in Pakistan,
including free and fair elections reflecting the will of the
people of Pakistan;
(2) calls on the President and the Secretary of State to
work with the Government of Pakistan to ensure democracy, human
rights, and the rule of law are upheld;
(3) urges the Government of Pakistan to uphold democratic
institutions, human rights, and the rule of law, and respect
the fundamental guarantees of due process, freedom of press,
freedom of assembly, and freedom of speech of the people of
Pakistan;
(4) condemns attempts to suppress the people of Pakistan's
participation in their democracy, including through harassment,
intimidation, arbitrary detention, or any violation of their
human, civil, or political rights; and
(5) condemns any effort to subvert the political,
electoral, or judicial processes of Pakistan.
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