The United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union all expressed concerns over Pakistan’s electoral on Friday, following a vote on Thursday, and called for an investigation into apparent anomalies.
The main contest was between former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s party and candidates supported by former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Both declared victory independently.
Elections were held for 265 seats in the national assembly, with a political party needing 133 seats to form a simple majority.
Both the United States and the European Union addressed suspicions of meddling including activist arrests, and emphasized the importance of thoroughly investigating charges of irregularities, intervention, and fraud should be fully investigated.
Khan is in jail, and his party has been forbidden from participating in the election. Independents, the majority of whom were endorsed by Khan, had won the most seats – 98 of the 245 counted by 1830 GMT – with Sharif’s PML-N party taking 69 seats.
Khan believes the powerful military is orchestrating a crackdown to drive his party out of existence, while experts and opponents claim Sharif is supported by the generals.
The EU statement cited a lack of a level playing field, attributing it to the inability of some political actors to contest the elections, as well as restrictions on freedom of assembly, expression, and internet access.
The US State Department stated that there were undue restrictions on freedoms of expression and assembly, as well as violence and attacks on journalists.
Earlier this week, the United Nations human rights office condemned violence against political parties and candidates. It expressed concern over Khan’s party’s pattern of harassment, arrests, and prolonged detentions of leaders and supporters.
The European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom all stated that they would work with the next government and did not congratulate any candidate or party.
British foreign minister David Cameron stated, “Serious concerns raised about the fairness and lack of inclusivity of the elections”.
Khan has faced multiple legal proceedings that resulted in his disqualification as a candidate and the imposition of lengthy prison sentences. He denies wrongdoing.
Khan was deposed in 2022 after clashing with the country’s powerful military, which denies interfering in politics. His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party won the previous national election in 2018.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is led by Sharif.
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