One of the legacies of the Biden administration will be its commitment to supporting Pakistan’s military junta government to the very last. Even as evidence has piled up of gross human-rights violations and election interference—and with U.S. Congress members calling on the president to pressure Pakistan—Biden’s State Department has refused to do anything except express support for its leader, general Asim Munir. Now with opposition activists amassing across the country, the country’s government, led by the military-backed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has begun shooting at protestors, cutting internet access, and blocking roads in an attempt to stifle demonstrations and prevent the rest of the world from following what’s happening. As the government crackdown on the demonstrations intensifies, the U.S. State Department is urging the demonstrators to “refrain from violence” and calling on the Pakistani government “to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms.” …..more
