Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have announced to bring a draft resolution in the National Assembly. He said that the US will counter Congress’s resolution criticizing the February 8 general elections and allegations of rigging by bringing a resolution in its Parliament.
The US House of Representatives through a resolution demanded a thorough and independent investigation of the elections in Pakistan. Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told the National Assembly that the government would “bring in a resolution to counter the US proposal” with the permission of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. “We must show our sovereignty, we must show our unity, we must show that we are serious,” he said. The leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said the government has taken note of the US proposal and a draft proposal is ready. This proposal will also be shared with the opposition.
He said that unity would be urged with a clear proposal against the American proposal. He also said that the resolution will be passed after the debate on the budget for 2024-25 is over. The Foreign Office responded to the US proposal, saying it lacked understanding of the country’s political situation and electoral process. The Foreign Office said, “We believe that the timing and context of this particular proposal do not mesh well with the positive dynamics of our bilateral relationship.”
Let us tell you that in the resolution passed by the US Congress on Tuesday by 368-7 votes, US President Joe Biden was urged to cooperate with Pakistan in maintaining democracy, human rights and rule of law. It stressed the importance of free and fair elections, calling for a thorough and independent investigation into any claims of interference or irregularities in Pakistan’s 2024 elections.
Months after the general elections were contested as rigged, the resolution stressed the need for participation of the Pakistani public in the democratic process. In fact, jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is also among those opposing the election results. His party alleges that its candidates face many big hurdles. Due to this, he has to contest the election as an independent candidate without his iconic election symbol ‘Balla’ due to a legal battle with the Election Commission of Pakistan.