US should reconsider approach towards Pakistan due to rigged elections, support for terror groups: Report

Washington, Sep 29 (IANS) As the US administration continues to boost its ties with Pakistan, it seems that the Pakistani military has yet again rigged the country's national election, a report highlighted on Monday. The US administration, it said, should reconsider its approach with the Pakistani authorities due to its "rigged, undemocratic elections" and support for Islamic terror groups, corruption and systemic persecution of ethnic and religious minorities, it stated.

Observer groups, media and members of the international community have accused the Pakistani military establishment of rigging their elections in February, last year. The election results favoured Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz over Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the electoral contest, according to a report in US-based PJ Media.

"The Commissioner of Rawalpindi admitted to converting 13 losers into winners. He further implicated the head of the Election Commission and the country's top judge as examples. In this election, independent candidates won 103 (93 backed by PTI), PMLN won 75, and PPP (Pakistan People's Party) won 54 seats. As a result, PMLN and PPP formed a coalition government," wrote Turkey-born journalist Uzay Bulut.

"The election thus maintained Pakistan’s current military-backed government in power. It was marred by widespread fraud that flagrantly overrode the clear will of voters who had widely supported the party of the imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan. It has also recently turned out that an international body tasked with monitoring elections and democratic institutions, the Commonwealth of Nations, quietly suppressed a report critical of Pakistan’s election in February of last year," the writer added.

In February last year, the Commonwealth Secretariat sent a 13-member Elections Observer Group (EOG) to Pakistan, with an aim to monitor general elections, which is standard practice for the organisation. The EOG gave a positive statement after the elections, however, its official report accused the government of actions that breached "fundamental political rights, including freedom of association, assembly, and expression."

Rigged elections seem to be norm of Pakistan as the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan called polls held in 2018 as the 'dirtiest and most micromanaged election in Pakistan’s history. Meanwhile, violence, bomb blasts, and the misuse of state power marred polls in 2013, which resulted in several political parties like Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JI) boycotting the elections.

Corruption in Pakistan is present at all levels of administration and the army. In addition, Pakistan openly enabled terror groups, providing covert assistance to Taliban. Ties between the US and Pakistan were strained after Osama bin Laden was found hiding in Pakistan's Abbottabad in 2011. Radical Islamic groups have been flourishing in Pakistan and political groups use them as their allies.

--IANS

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