US lawmaker Ilhan Omar voices concerns over crackdown on PTI ahead of elections

Ilhan Omar, a Muslim US representative, has expressed concerns about repression ahead of Pakistan's general elections, as crackdown against opposition political leaders rises.

Amid concerns about human rights, a lingering atmosphere of despondency pervades within Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), as manifestations of heavy-handedness persist with the continued arrests of candidates.

Days before elections, US Representative Ilhan Omar called for free and fair polls in South Asian nation as she expressed concerns over the crackdown on leading party.

In a social media post, she said there can’t be free and fair elections when one of the opposition parties has been criminalized, sharing a news report.

Since my colleagues and I raised our concerns about human rights in Pakistan last November, things have only gotten worse. There can't be free and fair elections when one of the opposition parties has been criminalized.https://t.co/ZG8giXTjVM

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 4, 2024

The American politician visited Pakistan in mid-2022, and met PTI founder Imran Khan, President Alvi and other government members.

She also called on then-Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and underscored long-standing ties of Islamabad and Washington.

Earlier, several democrats in House of Representatives called on the State Department to conduct a probe into human rights abuses inside Pakistan.