Claim: Viral image claims that the Canadian Parliament suggested that no loans should be granted to Pakistan until the current government conducts free and fair elections.
Fact: This is false; no information available on the Canadian Parliament’s website or with any mainstream credible news organisation confirms that the Parliament suggested no loans should be granted to Pakistan under the current government until free and fair elections are conducted. However, a few parliamentary orders dictate that the current situation in Pakistan is unstable and the suggestion for Magnitsky sanctions on members of the Pakistani military was considered.
On 23 June 2023, a viral image on Twitter claimed that the Canadian Parliament suggested no loans should be granted to Pakistan until the current government conducts a free and fair election.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check comprehensively reviewed the official website of the Canadian Parliament and found only two notices from the 44th parliament’s first session on 21 June 2023. These were two petitions presented by Michael Kram, who is a Conservative member of the Canadian Parliament representing the constituency Regina – Wascana since the petitioners from his constituency were, “expressing concern regarding the political turmoil in Pakistan after the recent arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan.”
Kram told the Parliament that, “the first petition calls on the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs to meet with the Pakistani high commissioner immediately and inform him that it is completely unacceptable for the military regime in Pakistan to intimidate people living in that country based on the activities of their family members living in Canada. This is following multiple reports of such incidents based on social media posts made in Canada that were critical of the Pakistani regime.”
He said, “the second petition concerns reports of politically motivated acts of violence against opposition parties in Pakistan in the lead-up to general elections in that country later this year. This petition calls on the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development to study the feasibility of imposing Magnitsky sanctions on members of the Pakistani military who are responsible for these acts.”
There was no discussion about loans in the Canadian Parliament, nor was any bill passed.
Virality
The tweet received over 7623 interactions and was viewed more than 44,900 times on Twitter.
Conclusion: The Canadian Parliament did not pass a bill suggesting loans should not be offered to Pakistan until it holds free and fair elections
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