Pakistani parliament criticizes US demand for election probe

Pakistan's ruling coalition on Friday passed a resolution in the lower house of parliament denouncing the US Congress' call for an investigation into allegations that the country's February elections were rigged.

The National Legislative Assembly said that Pakistan would not accept any interference in its internal affairs and that the resolution in question is an attempt to undermine the state.

The resolution comes two days after the U.S. House of Representatives voted 368-7 on Tuesday calling for a full and independent investigation into allegations of interference or irregularities in Pakistan's elections.

He also condemned what he described as attempts to suppress Pakistanis' participation in their democracy through harassment, violence, intimidation, arbitrary detention and restrictions on access to the internet and telecommunications.

The House deeply regrets that the resolution in question clearly reflects an incomplete and erroneous understanding of Pakistan's political and electoral process, Pakistani lawmakers responded in their counter-resolution on Friday.

The resolution was adopted by a voice vote in which no individual votes were counted.

Lawmakers loyal to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, opposed the resolution. They instead welcomed the US demand for an investigation into what they say is massive fraud on a scale never seen before in national elections.

Pakistan's foreign ministry on Wednesday rejected the US resolution in an official response. Its spokesperson renewed her rebuke at her weekly press briefing on Thursday, calling the US Congress's decision unfortunate.

This resolution is not constructive; it is not objective; this is out of touch with the realities of Pakistan and constitutes interference in the internal affairs of Pakistan, said Mumtaz Baloch.

Asked about the congressional resolution on Wednesday, the US State Department avoided discussing it, but said Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Washington's ambassador to Islamabad had consistently urged Pakistan to respect the rights of its people and uphold its constitutional and international obligations.

The February 8 vote, in which no party obtained a simple majority, was marked by deadly violence, allegations of fraud orchestrated by the army, and mobile phone and Internet outages across the country. on Election Day and delayed results. PTI leaders, candidates, and supporters were subjected to nationwide state repression in the run-up to the elections, forcing many to run for office in hiding.

The PTI and independent observers have argued that vote manipulation was intended solely to prevent Khan-backed candidates from winning the election, allegations that the country's election commission denies.

Khan, 71, has been jailed since August on charges of corruption, marriage fraud and leaking state secrets. Many key members of his party, including women, are also imprisoned on controversial charges.

Despite the crackdown, legal setbacks and alleged electoral fraud by the election authorities, Khan's PTI-backed candidates won the most seats in the 342-seat National Assembly, but fell short of a simple majority.

This allowed the PTI's rivals, the Pakistan Muslim League-N, or PML-N, and the Pakistan People's Party, or PPP, to form a coalition government, allegedly with the support of the military. PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif became Prime Minister.

The electoral process and its results, however, remain controversial. They face numerous legal challenges, some of which are also being considered by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Analysts downplayed the significance of the US resolution, saying it would not affect Washington's policy towards Islamabad.

Just hours before Pakistan's parliament passed the resolution on Friday, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a meeting with the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome.

A statement from the Foreign Ministry issued after the meeting said: “The two sides reviewed the latest developments in bilateral relations and discussed ways to advance the relations.

Cash-strapped Pakistan is engaged in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure a new multibillion-dollar loan to avert an economic crisis. Economic experts say Washington's support will be crucial for Islamabad to successfully negotiate the much-needed bailout package.

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