The United States House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted to support an impartial investigation into allegations of election fraud in Pakistan following the February 8 elections.
The recent general elections in Pakistan were marked by a nationwide mobile internet shutdown on election-day, arrests, and violence during the lead-up, and unusually delayed results, leading to accusations of rigging.
The US House voted 368-7 in favor of a resolution calling for a “full and independent investigation of claims of interference or irregularities in Pakistan’s February 2024 election.”
The resolution condemned “attempts to suppress the people of Pakistan’s participation in their democracy, including through harassment, intimidation, violence, arbitrary detention, restrictions on access to the internet and telecommunications, or any violation of their human, civil, or political rights.”
House Resolution 901 expressed support for democracy and human rights in Pakistan, urging the government to uphold democratic and electoral institutions, human rights, and the rule of law. It also called on the government to respect the fundamental guarantees of due process, freedom of the press, and the freedoms of assembly and speech for the people of Pakistan.
It is worth mentioning that the issue was prominently raised by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). PTI leaders were forced to run as independent candidates after losing their party symbol, the cricket bat, due to a legal dispute over an internal party election deemed flawed by the election authority.
