Amidst worries about election integrity and adherence to democratic values, the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee overwhelmingly endorsed a resolution on Wednesday that aims to support democracy, transparency, and human rights in Pakistan.
When the resolution was presented on September 30, 2023, 50 votes were cast in favor and 0 against. It is currently awaiting additional review and House of Representatives clearance.
The resolution outlined important requests for Pakistan’s electoral process, emphasizing the need for fair elections, respect for human rights, and compliance with the law.
In order to solve these issues and preserve democratic ideals in the area, the resolution further calls on US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to intensify their communication and collaboration with Pakistani authorities. It emphasized how crucial it is for Pakistan to hold honest elections that reflect the goals of its citizens.
The committee’s choice was made in response to a recent hearing on Pakistan’s post-election democracy that took place on March 20. Donald Lu, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asia, emphasized at the hearing the significance of openness and responsibility in handling charges of anomalies and conducting an inquiry into claims of meddling or rigging in Pakistan’s most recent general elections.
For the first time in two years, Lu, the man at the center of a diplomatic cable scandal in Pakistan, went public and refuted all allegations that he or the US government had anything to do with the ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan in April 2022.
Pakistan has not yet provided an official statement in relation to the resolution that was approved by the US House of Representatives. However, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch stated Pakistan’s willingness to have discussions with the US to clear up any confusion surrounding the elections at Thursday’s weekly briefing in Islamabad.
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