• 85 Congressmen have given statements on situation in Pakistan.
• US lawmakers show caution in supporting PTI, its chairman.
• Indian lobby has also been providing tacit support to this drive.

NEW YORK: Supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the US have been trying their best to elicit statements from US Congressmen in favour of the party.

These supporters include Sajjad Barki, Dr Asif Mahmood — an American politician of Pakistani origin and active supporter of American Vice President Kamala Harris — and an organisation named Pak PAC.

So far, 85 American Congressmen have given statements on the current situation in Pakistan, but after analysing these statements, one can easily draw the conclusion that these concerned Congressmen emphasised only safeguarding human rights and democratic principles in Pakistan and have shown caution when it comes to supporting the PTI and its chairman.

The concerned Congressmen have given these statements in their individual capacity and have desisted from drafting any law or writing a resolution on this issue. However, an attempt has been underway to pressurise Pakistan under the pretext of these statements.

The pro-PTI elements in the US have termed the issuance of these statements as their success, but the circles privy to the practical aspects of American politics relate the statements to the efforts aimed at lobbying and getting funds.

The effective and dynamic Indian lobby in America has also lent support to these elements in this regard. This fact could be verified if one examines the past statements and voting trends of these Congressmen on South Asian affairs. 

The in charge of the PTI overseas chapter, Dr Abdullah Riar, has been making efforts to mobilise activists of the PTI’s US chapter. 

He has been taking advantage of his accommodation facility in the vicinity of Washington for making efforts to establish contacts with the US Congressmen and administration.

But it has emerged that his efforts in the arena of public diplomacy have been facing major obstacles in the form of anti-US statements of the PTI chairman, his slogan for getting freedom from American slavery, and PTI’s anti-America campaign. 

So far, there has been no progress in drafting any law or writing any resolution against the Pakistani government on the basis of statements given by these 85 members of the US Congress. 

The answer to the question about the volume of funding to the election funds of these Congressmen could be obtained after reviewing the financial statements of the funds filed to the American governance system.

The pro-PTI elements have been making efforts very hard in this regard notwithstanding the anti-US statements given by the PTI and its chairman and the anti-US public campaign of the party.

The latest instance is that the spokesman for the US State Department in his press briefing on June 6, while speaking in accordance with the norms of public diplomacy, termed baseless and rejected the allegations levelled by the PTI chairman against America.

The Pakistani Embassy in Washington has been maintaining an eerie silence on this situation.

An impression has been emerging in the US that pressure has been mounting on the present Pakistani government due to the campaign conducted by the pro-PTI elements.

An anti-Pakistan campaign has been in progress in the US on human rights and other issues. The Indian lobby has not just been pleased with this campaign but it has also been providing tacit support to this drive. 

However, the Pakistani Embassy in the US is seen as helpless in this situation as neither it issues any clarification in response nor it holds meetings in this regard.

It is worth mentioning here that the ambassador of Pakistan to the US, Masood Khan, possesses vast experience in diplomacy in the United Nations and America. 

Khan, at the time of his appointment as the ambassador, faced serious objections and campaigns from the Indian lobby.