Why go around in circles? The recent legislative push by Representative Rashida Tlaib to condition US military aid on the removal of General Asim Munir and the release of Imran Khan is a direct challenge to Pakistan’s sovereignty and a perilous precedent in international relations. This move, ostensibly aimed at promoting human rights, risks undermining the very fabric of diplomatic engagement and Pakistan’s constitutional autonomy.

Would these so-called activists realise that Pakistan’s leadership–military or civilian is unequivocally a national matter, determined by its constitutional procedures, not by external demands or diaspora-driven pressure campaigns. The principle of non-intervention, a cornerstone of international law enshrined in the UN Charter, prohibits coercive interference in a state’s internal affairs. Weaponising aid to dictate the tenure of a military chief or the fate of a political figure sets a dangerous precedent that undermines diplomacy and violates international norms of non-intervention. Such aid conditionality, based on personalities rather than policies, reeks of politicisation, not genuine human rights advocacy. Washington must avoid being seen as enabling political engineering abroad, a perception that has historically plagued US-Pakistan relations.

The United States itself acknowledges Pakistan’s vital role in counter-terrorism and regional stability, aiming to “mitigate the threat from violent extremism and counter........

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