US lawmaker joins 'Free Karachi' campaign in America

Joining the ‘Free Karachi’ campaign launched by Muhajirs in the US against human rights violations in Pakistan’s largest city, an influential American lawmaker has sought the Trump administration’s intervention in stopping oppression and rights abuses against the Muhajirs in Karachi.

“President Trump’s decision to suspend aid to Pakistan is a clear choice for its leadership on being an ally to the United States, commitment to dismantle terrorist networks and importantly stop oppression and human rights abuse on Muhajirs in Karachi, Baloch, Pashtuns and other minority communities through its military, paramilitary and intelligence assets,” Congressman Tom Garrett said in a statement.

The remarks of Garrett, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was published in a special supplement of The Washington Times daily as part of the ‘Free Karachi’ campaign launched by Muhajir Americans.

The supplement highlights the strategic importance of Karachi in South Asia and growing extremism under the alleged patronage of Pakistan’s powerful military and its even more powerful ISI intelligence agency.

The supplement feature reports and articles on the persecution of Muhajirs in Karachi and the other urban centres in Sindh province of Pakistan.

Starting this week, digital ads for ‘Free Karachi’ are running on the website of the Washington Times urging the US administration and world community to save Muhajirs in Pakistan.

“Pakistan - where State kills its citizens. #FreeKarachi from the state atrocities of Pakistan,” says the ad on the homepage of the newspaper.

Earlier this week, the first phase of the ‘Free Karachi’ campaign was launched in Washington. Taxis with banners of ‘#FreeKarachi’ took part in the parade to raise awareness on the plight of Muhajirs in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Muhajirs are Urdu-speaking migrants from India. The Pakistan Embassy in Washington has complained to the US State Department against the campaign, alleging that it is anti-Pakistan.

The State Department was not immediately available for comment.