Washington, August 25, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian American Congressman Suhas Subramanyam has raised concerns over the treatment of jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, describing reports about his condition as troubling and warning that the situation could undermine perceptions of democracy and human rights in the country.
The Democratic lawmaker said he received a detailed account of Khan’s circumstances during a meeting with a member of the former prime minister’s family.
“The Khans have not been treated properly. They’ve been treated inhumanely. They deserve the medical attention,” Subramanyam said in an interview.
He stressed that Khan had come to power through a democratic mandate and said the treatment of the former premier raised broader concerns about Pakistan’s democratic institutions.
“Imran Khan was the democratically elected leader of Pakistan,” Subramanyam said, adding that the situation was “a bad signal” for democracy and human rights in the country.
Subramanyam said Pakistan’s strategic relationship with the United States should not prevent Washington from raising concerns about the conduct of its allies.
“Even though Pakistan is an ally of the US… we need to hold them to task and call out what’s going on with our allies included,” he said.
He identified Khan’s access to adequate medical care as an immediate priority and said he would continue writing letters and speaking publicly about developments in Pakistan.
“Right now, we just wanna make sure that he gets the medical attention he needs, and that right now, we promote and encourage democracy in Pakistan,” he said.
The congressman also discussed Pakistan’s role as a mediator in talks between the United States and Iran, saying Islamabad’s involvement was important despite his doubts about the prospects for an immediate breakthrough.
“Pakistan is still an ally, but, longer term, I still have concerns about Munir and the regime there,” he said, referring to Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir.
Subramanyam also warned Washington against becoming “simply complicit” in what he described as attacks on democracy in Pakistan.
Turning to the US-Iran conflict, he criticised President Donald Trump for what he described as a lack of a longer-term strategy and questioned the financial cost of the US military engagement.
“We were told last year in Congress that we didn’t have the money for healthcare, like food assistance, the basic needs of American citizens,” he said, adding, “here we are a year later spending a billion dollars a day in Iran.”
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