Electoral process internal sovereign affair: FO

The Foreign Office (FO) said on Thursday that the electoral process in Pakistan is an internal sovereign matter and that the country is committed to fulfilling its constitutional obligations. Western capitals called into question the "undue restrictions" put in place during the February 8 elections in Pakistan and expressed concern over allegations of vote-rigging, but pledged to work with whoever formed the next government. The United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union, in their separate statements, called upon the relevant Pakistani authorities to ensure a timely and full investigation of all the reported irregularities in Thursday’s elections. FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch emphasised the "democratic nature" of the polls and added that millions of Pakistanis exercised their right to vote on February 8. Highlighting that the country had welcomed foreign observers, the FO said it demonstrates the country's commitment to a transparent electoral process. Baloch maintained that the country takes its constitutional obligations seriously and any "step that Pakistan takes in this regard is in conformity with its own constitutional obligations and not influenced by external advice". During the weekly press conference, she also pointed to the report by the Commonwealth observer group and said it stated that the polls were deemed to be of “transparency and participatory nature”. Read: Results announced amidst rigging allegations Last week, the FO said that it was "surprised" by the negative tone of some statements from foreign countries and organisations over the February 8 general elections. "We are surprised by the negative tone of some of these statements, which neither take into account the complexity of the electoral process nor acknowledge the free and enthusiastic exercise of the right to vote by tens of millions of Pakistanis," said the statement by FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch. The spokesperson maintained that the statements "ignore" that elections were held in Pakistan peacefully and successfully while mitigating "serious security threats resulting primarily from foreign-sponsored terrorism". The FO added that some statements were not factual as there was no nationwide internet shutdown and only mobile services were suspended due to terror threats on election day. The spokesperson maintained that while advice is valued, the criticism was neither constructive nor objective as the electoral process has not been completed.  

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