The United States has expressed worries over accusations of “intimidation and voter suppression” in the polls amid rallies against alleged election tampering on February 8.
The transparency of the February 8 general elections is called into question due to excessive delays in the results and the suspension of mobile communications on polling day.
The elections last week did not result in a clear majority for anyone, but Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed independent candidates gained 92 National Assembly seats, followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party.
Questions have been raised regarding the fairness of the February 8 election, both inside Pakistan and in major foreign capitals, with Washington earlier saying there were “undue restrictions” on freedoms of expression.
“We are watching this very, very closely,” White House spokesperson John Kirby said to reporters on Thursday, expressing alarm over “intimidation and voter suppression.”
“International monitors are still looking at those tallies, and I’m not going to rush that process,” he said of the vote count.
The PTI, JUI-F, JI, and other nationalist groups have held sporadic protests across the country over alleged rigging and manipulation.
In addition, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have urged Pakistan to investigate the rigging claims and take actions to reduce political tensions in the nation.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar denied on Monday that Pakistan will probe suspected cheating in the February 8 general elections under any pressure.
During a news conference at the PM House, Kakar was asked to comment on the US and UK demands for an investigation into suspicions of rigging and delays in the announcement of results.
The interim PM inquired whether Pakistan had requested that the US conduct an investigation into the Capitol Hill disturbances. “Pakistan is a sovereign state and will not bow to any pressure,” he said.
He saw that other countries and worldwide forums base their assumptions and opinions on fragmented information from social media. “If there are any allegation, we will look into them according to our own laws and no demand of any other country,” he went on to say.
