US praises voters for rejecting ‘terrorists’

The US expressed concern over the participation of terrorist-affiliated people in Pakistan’s elections but commended the voters for rejecting them. In a statement, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert also noted with concern the the "flaws in the pre-voting electoral process”.

“The US also has deep reservations over the participation of terrorist-affiliated individuals in the elections, but we commend Pakistani voters for fully rejecting these candidates at the ballot box on Wednesday,” she said.

On how the election was conducted, she said Washington shared the concerns of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan that the flaws “included constraints placed on freedoms of expression and association during the campaign period that were at odds with Pakistani authorities’ stated goal of a fully fair and transparent election”.

She said the US also concurred with the European Union Election Observation Mission’s findings “while there were positive changes to the legal framework for elections, these were overshadowed by restrictions on freedom of expression and unequal campaign opportunities”. “The US commends the courage of the Pakistani people, including women, who turned out to vote and showed resolve to determine country’s future,” she added.

Avoiding any mention of the front-runner PTI leader Imran Khan, Nauert said, “As Pakistan’s elected leaders form a new government, the US will look for opportunities to work with them to advance our goals of security, stability, and prosperity in South Asia.”