Washington, Dec. 4 -- As many as 44 United States lawmakers have urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to levy immediate sanctions on senior Pakistani officials, directly naming Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's military-backed government and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir for what they describe as an "escalating campaign of transnational repression" and a worsening human rights environment in Pakistan.

The bipartisan letter, released this week, called for visa bans and asset freezes on officials believed to be "orchestrating threats against US citizens" and residents who criticise Pakistan's military establishment.

"In recent years, US citizens and residents who have spoken out against authoritarian abuses in Pakistan have faced t...