US lawmakers push for timely elections

Multiple US lawmakers have urged Pakistan to ensure timely free and fair elections, suggesting that they should be monitored internationally at an event in Washington.

An event titled ‘Human Rights and Democracy in Pakistan’ was organised by Pakistani American Dr Asif Mahmood and jointly sponsored by Democrat congressmen Brad Sherman and Jim Costa.

Several of the speakers were members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and therefore maintain the power to influence US foreign policy.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters also maintained a heavy presence at the event.

Speaking at the event, Sherman said, “There are two things that the [US] State Department needs to say diplomatically that I will say, perhaps, undiplomatically.

“First, the relationship of the US with Pakistan depends upon fair, free, monitored and transparent elections. Second, any assassination of a journalist on American soil is an attack on America and our sovereignty and I can’t imagine that that would be tolerated.”

He said, “So I am of course concerned with this FBI report and I cannot think of anything that could do more to hurt US-Pakistani relations than for the government to engage in deadly violence on American soil.”

Further, Costa said that he hoped “Pakistan gets on a much better track”.
“Since the end of the British rule, two things are constant: corruption and the army,” he said. “Free and fair elections, democratic governments and protection of human rights are essential to make the progress that the people of Pakistan deserve and need.”

He went on to stress the need for the US to develop "a much more coherent diplomatic strategy to [...] try to get the good results that we all seek – the goals that we would like to seek for a longstanding good relationship between the US and Pakistan.”

Notably, the comments come days after the US said that “democratic principles and respect for the rule of law” were central to the Pak-US relationship and the values would continue to guide this bilateral partnership forward.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken had said after his telephone conversation with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari that Washington supported a productive, democratic, and prosperous partnership with Pakistan.