Focus on Human Rights in Discussions with Pakistan

Floor Speech

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Mr. SHERMAN. Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, came to Washington this weekend. As chair of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, it is appropriate that I comment upon what has occurred so far in the bilateral discussions, and I look forward to meeting the Prime Minister later today.

What is unfortunate is the approach taken by the Trump administration.

First, as to Afghanistan, the hearts and minds of the Afghan people are critical to our success in what has been our longest war. Tens of thousands of Americans have worked to get the hearts and minds of the Afghan people on our side, building schools and hospitals, under very dangerous conditions.

Now, the President takes this high-profile opportunity as an opportunity to say that he might kill 10 million Afghans, or was thinking about it, or raises the possibility that we would use nuclear weapons to destroy Afghanistan.

This does untold harm to our efforts in Afghanistan to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people.

What the President should have done is talk about the Durand Line and how Afghanistan should accept this border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, a border that Afghanistan disputes but that the whole world accepts.

As to Kashmir, it is not surprising that the Prime Minister of Pakistan wants America to arbitrate or mediate. That has been the position of Pakistan for decades. But then, the President said in Osaka, last month, Prime Minister Modi asked the United States to arbitrate or mediate the Kashmir dispute.

That is utterly preposterous, and it is embarrassing that we have a President who wouldn't realize how preposterous that statement is. Of course, the record has been set straight by Prime Minister Modi.

Third is what the President didn't say. He didn't make a major issue over Dr. Afridi, the doctor who was critical in helping us find and kill Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden was hiding a mile away from the military academy of the Pakistani Army, their West Point.

We have not demanded that the Pakistanis who helped Osama bin Laden be put in jail, but we do insist that the one Pakistani who helped us find bin Laden be released from Pakistani jail.

The President barely raised the issue. In fact, he didn't voluntarily raise it at all.

This is not just a humanitarian concern. It is also a strategic national security concern because who will help us fight terrorism if we leave Dr. Afridi behind?

In a news interview, Prime Minister Khan suggested there might be a trade, where Afridi was released and a terrorist named Dr. Siddiqui released by the United States.

No friendly country would demand that we release a terrorist in order for them to release a hero, but we have to be practical, and we have to get Dr. Afridi released.

Finally, the President failed to mention with the Prime Minister of Pakistan the situation as to human rights. Hundreds of individuals in Sindh have been forcibly disappeared by Pakistani authorities.

A prime example of that I should highlight today is a 17-year-old boy from Sindh, Aqib Chandio. He was abducted 14 months ago, in broad daylight. He is still missing.

It is time for the Prime Minister of Pakistan to provide information about Aqib Chandio. Where is he? Produce him in court or release him. What is his fate?

Of course, we need information about hundreds of others who have disappeared, including Murtaza Junejo, Shahid Junejo, Ayoub Kandhro, and Insaf Dayo.

I want to mention Dr. Anwar Laghari, a friend of mine who was shot dead in Sindh in 2015 while working with the Sindh United Party, a party of which he was one of the leaders. Pakistan has not adequately investigated that brutal murder, and it is time for Pakistan to do so.

Finally, we focus on the issue of forced conversions in Sindh, young Hindu and Christian girls forced to convert to Islam and forced to marry men many decades their senior. The Pakistani Government needs to stop this pernicious practice. They need to do more. That is why nine of my colleagues joined with me in sending a letter to the President, urging a focus on human rights in Sindh in these bilateral discussions.

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