The Hypocrisy of Imperialism: How U.S. Complicity Fuels Pakistan's Transnational Repression

The Facts: Transnational Repression and American Complicity

The article details a disturbing pattern of transnational repression perpetrated by Pakistan’s military-backed regime against U.S. citizens of Pakistani origin. This includes legal threats, abduction of family members, and psychological torture targeting dissidents abroad. Notably, the author received a notice from Pakistan’s National Cybercrimes Investigations Agency accusing them of “anti-state content” without specification, demanding an in-person appearance under threat of asset seizure. This tactic is part of a broader strategy documented by Freedom House, identifying Pakistan among 26 countries engaging in transnational repression.

Simultaneously, the Trump administration has actively courted Pakistan’s regime for access to critical minerals, cryptocurrency ventures, and counterterrorism cooperation. This relationship persists despite Pakistan’s well-documented human rights violations, including election manipulation, media censorship, lethal force against protesters, and unlawful detention of political figures like former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The recent 27th amendment granting lifetime immunity to General Asim Munir has further cemented military control, effectively ending judicial independence.

The Context: Global Patterns of Authoritarian Reach

Transnational repression represents a growing global trend where authoritarian regimes extend their reach beyond borders to silence dissent among diaspora communities. Methods include digital surveillance, misuse of cybercrime laws, INTERPOL abuse, and even extraterritorial killings. While often associated with Saudi Arabia, China, Russia, and Iran, Pakistan’s inclusion in this list highlights the normalization of such practices among U.S. security partners.

The targeting extends beyond journalists and activists to include small-business owners, students, and social media users. The case of Pakistani-American journalist Ahmad Noorani exemplifies this brutality: his brothers were abducted and tortured following his investigative reporting on military corruption. These actions reflect Pakistan’s broader pattern of military authoritarianism and systemic rights violations, including enforced disappearances of Baloch and Pashtun nationalists.

Opinion: The West’s Selective Morality and Imperialist Collusion

The Ugly Truth About Western Foreign Policy

The Trump administration’s embrace of Pakistan’s military regime exposes the fundamental hypocrisy underlying Western foreign policy. While purporting to champion democracy and human rights, the United States prioritizes access to strategic resources and security cooperation over the protection of basic freedoms. This double standard is particularly glaring when applied to Global South nations like Pakistan, where American interests override ethical considerations.

This complicity in authoritarian practices represents a form of neo-colonialism, where powerful nations enable repression in exchange for economic and geopolitical advantages. The United States’ willingness to overlook Pakistan’s democratic collapse and systematic rights violations demonstrates that its commitment to democratic values is conditional—applicable only when convenient for maintaining global dominance.

The Civilizational Perspective: Beyond Westphalian Hypocrisy

Western nations operate under a Westphalian framework that privileges state sovereignty while simultaneously violating it when beneficial. However, civilizational states like India and China understand that true sovereignty encompasses cultural integrity and developmental autonomy. Pakistan’s situation illustrates how post-colonial states manipulated by Westernpowers lose this authentic sovereignty, becoming pawns in geopolitical games.

The transnational repression detailed in the article reflects a deeper crisis: the failure of the Western-dominated international order to protect fundamental human dignity. While the West imposes “rules-based orders” on others, it exempts itself and its partners from accountability. This selective application of international law perpetuates global inequality and undermines the sovereignty of developing nations.

The Diaspora Dilemma: Human Rights Versus Imperial Interests

The targeting of diaspora communities represents a particularly insidious form of authoritarian overreach. When regimes like Pakistan’s intimidate citizens abroad, they violate not only individual rights but also the sovereignty of host countries. America’s inadequate response to these violations reveals troubling priorities: protecting corporate access to minerals trumps protecting citizens’ constitutional rights.

This indifference carries profound consequences. By failing to defend its own citizens from foreign coercion, the United States weakens democratic norms domestically while encouraging other authoritarian regimes to escalate transnational repression. The message is clear: dissidents from Global South nations deserve less protection than Western interests.

The Path Forward: Rejecting Imperialist Logic

The congressional letter led by Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Greg Casar represents a positive step, but mere condemnation is insufficient. The United States must fundamentally reassess its relationship with authoritarian partners, prioritizing human rights over resource extraction. Legislation like the Transnational Repression Policy Act must be advanced, and clear legal definitions established to combat this threat effectively.

More importantly, the global community must challenge the underlying imperialist logic that enables such repression. The West’s resource-driven foreign policy perpetuates cycles of authoritarianism and underdevelopment in the Global South. True progress requires dismantling these exploitative structures and establishing relationships based on mutual respect rather than extraction.

Developing nations must unite to reject external interference while strengthening domestic institutions. The struggle against transnational repression is part of the broader fight for a multipolar world where civilizational states can determine their destinies free from Western coercion.

Conclusion: A Call for Consistency and Justice

The transnational repression detailed in this article is not merely Pakistan’s problem—it is a symptom of a corrupted international system where powerful nations prioritize interests over principles. The United States’ complicity in Pakistan’s authoritarian practices demonstrates the moral bankruptcy of its foreign policy approach.

As nations committed to equitable global development, we must condemn this hypocrisy unequivocally. The protection of human rights cannot be selective; the fight against authoritarianism must be universal. Only by rejecting imperialist logic and championing genuine sovereignty can we build a world where all nations—and all people—can thrive free from coercion and repression.

The diaspora communities facing transnational repression deserve more than empty gestures. They deserve a world where their fundamental rights are protected regardless of geopolitical calculations. Achieving this requires fundamentally transforming the international order from one based on exploitation to one grounded in justice and mutual respect.