The United States House of Representatives Wednesday expressed its support for democracy and human rights in Pakistan by a massive majority, approving a resolution urging an impartial probe into the claims of irregularities during the February 8 general elections in the country.
At least 368 members of the US house voted in favour of the resolution and called for a “full and independent investigation of claims of interference or irregularities in Pakistan’s February 2024 election”. Around seven members have voted against it.
According to the House Resolution 901, representatives have voted to “express support for democracy and human rights in Pakistan”.
Through the resolution, the US lawmakers have emphasised on the need for the Pakistani public’s participation in the country’s democratic process months after its general polls were contested as “rigged” and its outcome termed “delayed” by political parties now seated on the opposition benches in the legislature.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is among those opposing the results of the polls after its candidates faced immense hurdles in their run up to their participation in the vote, leading them to participate as independent candidates and being deprived of their iconic bat symbol following a legal battle with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The country’s two major parties, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), along with other political parties, formed a coalition government in the Centre following the polls, leaving the candidates of PTI and other political parties with the opposition seats.
The resolution, on the other hand, has denounced “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”.
The resolution also condemned “any effort to subvert the political, electoral, or judicial processes of Pakistan”.
Sharing his views on the development, Michael Kugelman — the South Asia Institute director at the Washington-based The Wilson Center — said that at least 85% of the members of the House of Representatives have voted in favour of the resolution.
