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Investigate election fraud, will work with next government: US on Pakistan elections
The US has expressed concern about the electoral process in Pakistan while stating categorically that it will work with the next Pakistani government, “regardless of political party” to advance shared bilateral interests.
The US has expressed concern about the electoral process in Pakistan while stating categorically that it will work with the next Pakistani government, “regardless of political party” to advance shared bilateral interests.
The American position on the Pakistan elections comes in the backdrop of a widespread perception that the US, just like the Pakistani Army establishment, was keen to see the emergence of a political coalition that kept Imran Khan and his loyalists out of the power structure. But both the nature of the elections, where independent assessments have pointed to an uneven playing field, and the emerging results, where Khan’s loyalists have done better than expected, has made the American position critical in shaping the contours of Pakistan’s political future.
In a clear bid to show itself as non-partisan, the US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement on Friday morning that millions of Pakistanis had made their voices heard and commended Pakistani “poll workers, civil society, journalists and election observers for their work to protect and uphold Pakistan’s democratic and electoral institutions”. He added that the US now looked forward to “timely, complete results” that reflected the will of the Pakistani people, at a time when there are apprehensions about the army’s moves and reports of post-poll rigging during the counting process.
But the US then joined ranks with those who have been critical of the electoral process, with Miller saying that the US shared the assessment that the elections placed “undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly”. The State Department spokesperson added, “We condemn electoral violence, restrictions on the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including attacks on media workers, and restrictions on access to the Internet and telecommunication services, and are concerned about allegations of interference in the electoral process. Claims of interference or fraud should be fully investigated.”
While staying away from commenting on the specifics of the outcome, the US also made it clear that it will work with whoever gets elected to power in Pakistan.
“The United States is prepared to work with the next Pakistani government, regardless of political party, to advance our shared interests,” said Miller, in what appeared to be a bid to show that Washington had no favourites within the domestic Pakistani theatre. He added that the US looked forward to bolstering its partnership by supporting Pakistan’s economy through trade and investment; supporting Pakistan in “strengthening its democratic institutions; engaging through the U.S.-Pakistan Green Alliance Framework, broadening people-to-people ties, and promoting human rights including freedom of expression. “We are also committed to strengthening our security cooperation and creating an environment of safety and security that affords the Pakistani people the peace, democracy, and progress they deserve,” the US said.
