WASHINGTON: The United States on Monday called for respect for freedom of assembly as Pakistani authorities warned they would ban protests by supporters of jailed Prime Minister Imran Khan after his bloc’s shock election triumph.
“We want freedom of assembly to be respected anywhere in the world,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters when asked how Pakistani police were using the colonial-era law against public gatherings.
Independent candidates – most linked to Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party – won the most seats in the election, scuppering the chances of the military-backed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz to win a ruling majority.
But independents are unable to form a government, raising fears of prolonged political uncertainty as PTI leaders claim they are being manipulated and call for protests outside polling stations.
Miller echoed previous US calls for a fraud investigation, but noted that the results showed a competitive vote.
“We really think the allegations of fraud need to be fully investigated. That said, this was clearly a competitive election where people could exercise their choice,” he said.
“Ultimately, we respect the democratic process and are ready to work with the government once it is formed,” he said.
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US Representative Ilhan Omar, who rose to prominence in Pakistan in part for his outspoken criticism of rival India, last week called on the State Department not to recognize the election results pending an investigation into allegations of electoral malpractice.
The United States has relied on Pakistani logistical support in its two-year war in Afghanistan, but many US officials believe Islamabad’s tacit support for the Taliban contributed to the fall of the Western-backed government in 2021.
The Biden administration has kept Pakistan at arm’s length, and Biden has not even spoken on the phone with Khan, a longtime critic of US military operations.
