Khawaja Asif slams US House call for probe into election

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday criticised a US House of Representatives resolution calling for a probe of alleged voting irregularities in the February 8 general election.

The vote, in which no single party won a clear majority, was marred by violence, communication blackouts and allegations by former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party that the polls were rigged.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) denies this.

"They have no right to interfere in our internal affairs or give any sort of verdict on the matter," Khawaja Asif told a private TV channel. He said the resolution, passed on Tuesday, had "no value" and was political posturing in an election year in the United States.

In addition to calling for an independent investigation, the US House resolution condemned any effort to subvert the electoral process. Pakistan's foreign office released a more carefully worded statement, saying that the resolution "stems from an incomplete understanding of the political situation and electoral process in Pakistan."

Also read: Pakistan condemns US resolution, cites misunderstanding of political landscape

Washington's support will be crucial for Islamabad in coming weeks as it looks to secure a fresh bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to stave off an economic crisis.

The resolution will not have much impact on Washington's policy towards Pakistan, Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center's South Asia Institute, said in a post on social media platform X. But, he added, it raised questions about whether Pakistan legislation could follow, noting bipartisan support for the resolution.

The resolution was welcomed by Khan's party, which was banned from contesting the elections. "The hope is that other nations and leaders will follow the US House's example," senior Khan aide Zulfikar Bukhari said in a text message. Independent candidates backed by Khan won the most seats but did not have the numbers to form a government.

Instead an alliance of his rivals formed a government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The polls remain contentious and are facing a number of legal challenges.