US lawmaker flags ‘inhumane’ treatment of jailed former Pak PM Imran Khan

Business To Business, Washington, 25 August 2026:   Indian American Congressman Suhas Subramanyam has voiced concern over the treatment of jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan, warning that the developments send a troubling signal about democracy and human rights in the country.
 
Subramanyam said he had received a detailed account of Khan’s condition and 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,” the Democratic congressman said in an interview.
 
He stressed that Khan had held office after winning a democratic mandate.
 
“And let's remember that Imran Khan was the democratically elected leader of Pakistan,” Subramanyam said. “And so this is a bad signal when it comes to democracy in Pakistan, human rights in Pakistan.”
 
Subramanyam said Pakistan’s strategic relationship with Washington should not prevent US lawmakers from raising concerns about the conduct of its authorities.
 
“Even though Pakistan is an ally of the US, and we have a wonderful Pakistani American community here, we need to hold them to task and call out what's going on with our allies included,” he said.
 
Asked for his assessment of the situation in Pakistan, Subramanyam said the immediate priority was ensuring that Khan received adequate medical care.
 
“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 said he would continue writing letters and speaking publicly about developments in the country.
 
“That's why I continue sending the letters. That's why I continue trying to speak out and be vocal about wanting to make sure that the democracy is still alive in Pakistan,” he said. “I think it's good for the people there, and it's good for the relationship between the US and Pakistan.”
 
Subramanyam also discussed Pakistan’s role as a mediator between the United States and Iran.
 
“Right now, Pakistan is a mediator between the US and Iran. Those talks have not gone well,” he said. “It's important to see Pakistan playing that role.”
 
“Pakistan is still an ally, but, longer term, I still have concerns about Munir and the regime there,” he added, referring to Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir.
 
The congressman said Washington must ensure that it is “not simply complicit in some of the attacks on democracy there”.
 
Subramanyam was also sceptical that Pakistan’s engagement with Iran would deliver an immediate breakthrough.
 
“I'm a little skeptical any positive outcome will come out of it,” he said.
 
He criticised President Donald Trump for failing to seek a longer-term strategy from Congress over the conflict with Iran and warned about its impact on American families.
 
“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,” Subramanyam said. “And yeah, here we are a year later spending a billion dollars a day in Iran.”