Pakistan US Relation : When America raised questions about the rigging in Pakistan’s general elections, Pakistan got angry. Pakistan even accused America of interfering in internal matters. In fact, the US House passed a resolution on Wednesday, after which Pakistan issued a statement a few hours later. In the resolution, questions were raised on the credibility of the general elections held in Pakistan in February, in which an independent investigation of the alleged irregularities in the elections has been demanded. After this news, the former Prime Minister Imran Khan His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party also alleged that the election was manipulated to deprive it of victory.
‘America should focus on its own elections’
Now Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zehra Baloch said on Wednesday that Pakistan believes in constructive dialogue and participation. This proposal of America is neither constructive nor purposeful. At the same time, analysts say that this sharp reaction of Pakistan can bring trouble in its relations with America. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif also criticized the proposal and suggested to America that it should itself focus on transparency in its elections to be held in November. He said during a TV program on Wednesday that America has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of Pakistan. Earlier, he had also questioned the track record of America’s involvement in removing foreign governments ex post. Asif also mentioned the support given to Israel during the ongoing war in Gaza.
What does the proposal say?
The resolution on Pakistan was introduced in the US House on June 25, urging the Pakistani government to maintain democratic and electoral institutions and condemning any attempt to violate the rights of the Pakistani people. The resolution was passed with overwhelming support of 368 members of Congress, while only 7 votes were cast against it. After this, PTI also claimed that its mandate was stolen despite winning the most seats (93) in the February 8 elections. It welcomed the passage of the resolution. Former President Arif Alvi, also a senior leader of PTI, called it a step in the right direction.
This will not have any effect on Pakistan
Former Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir said the overwhelming support for the proposal reflects the views of the US Congress, but Bashir also said it would not create any hindrance in relations between the two countries. He told Al Jazeera that he does not think the proposal would become a bone of contention in improving relations. Foreign policy expert Muhammad Faisal commented that the US proposal would not put any special pressure on the Pakistani government. He called it a matter of domestic US politics, where the votes of Pakistani-Americans are important in some districts.