US concerned about reports of intimidation, voter suppression in Pakistan election, White House says

WASHINGTON: The United States is concerned about reports of intimidation and voter suppression in Pakistan’s election, the White House said on Thursday after reports of protests in some parts of the country.

Pakistan’s election last week did not return a clear majority for anyone but independent candidates backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan won 92 out of 264 seats, making them the largest group.

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Questions have been raised about the fairness of the February 8 election both inside Pakistan as well as in major foreign capitals, with Washington having previously said there were “undue restrictions” on freedoms of expressions and assembly.

“We are watching this very, very closely,” White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday, expressing concern about “intimidation and voter suppression.”

“International monitors are still taking a look at those tallies, I’m not going to get ahead of that process,” he added about the vote count.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Thursday reacted sharply to questions raised on the credibility of the February 8 polls, saying the election is an internal sovereign affair and any step taken in this regard is in conformity with the country’s own constitutional obligations and not because of any advice from the foreign governments.

Speaking at her weekly media briefing in response to journalists’ queries, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that Pakistan is a democracy and the people of the country have voted in tens of millions with unprecedented numbers of women and young voters who participated in the exercise on polling day.

“Elections in Pakistan is an internal sovereign affair of Pakistan…Pakistan has also welcomed foreign observers including the ‘Commonwealth Observer Group’. In that context, Pakistan has shown a willingness to be transparent in the election process,” she said.

However, she added that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is the relevant body that will comment and respond to any queries regarding the election process or any complaint if any individual in Pakistan has on the electoral process.

“As far as the (concerns by) foreign governments are concerned our view is clear that Pakistan undertakes its constitutional obligations seriously. It’s the right of the people of Pakistan to enjoy freedoms and democracy. Any step that Pakistan takes in this regard, is in conformity with our own constitutional obligations and not because of any advice from the foreign governments,” she emphasised while responding to the concerns of some foreign countries.

The spokesperson’s remarks come in response to statements from certain countries including the US, the UK, the European Union (EU), and Australia, questioning the credibility of the country’s February 8 general polls and urged a probe into the claims of “restrictions, fraud and interference” in the general elections.