People of Pakistan to decide its future leadership: U.S.
The Hindu
The Joe Biden Administration said on February 9 it is for the people of Pakistan to decide their future leadership as the country voted in its general elections amid allegations of rigging and electoral malpractice.
The Joe Biden Administration said on February 9 it is for the people of Pakistan to decide their future leadership as the country voted in its general elections amid allegations of rigging and electoral malpractice.
"Millions of Pakistanis went to the polls today to vote and I will reiterate that Pakistan's future leadership is for the Pakistani people to decide, and our interest continues to be in the democratic process," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at his daily news conference.
He condemned all instances of election-related violence, both in the weeks preceding as well as on the polling day on February 8.
"These kinds of election-related violence, we believe, affected a broad range of political parties across Pakistan. It impacted polling stations, election officers, as well as the election commission,” he said as he expressed concerns about the restrictions on the exercise of freedom of expression.
"We are tracking reports of restrictions on internet and cellphone access across Pakistan on polling day. And we, along with the international community, will continue to emphasise the importance of democratic institutions, a free press, a vibrant civil society, and expanded opportunities for political participation of all of Pakistan's citizens. But I am not going to get ahead of any of the other official election results, so I’m not going to comment on this any further," Mr. Patel said.
The State Department official refrained from commenting on preliminary results. "The thing about preliminary results is that they are preliminary. And I am not going to get ahead of any official results, and so I’m not going to comment or speculate further on what a government could look like, what the makeup could be, or anything like that," he said.
"What I will just reiterate is that we condemn all instances of election-related violence, even some of the kinds that you are describing that took place in the weeks preceding the election as well as on election day," he said.
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