The United States stated that discussions regarding the establishment of a coalition government in Pakistan are regarded as the nation’s “internal affair,” reiterating the demand for Islamabad to thoroughly investigate allegations of electoral fraud from last week’s national polls.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller was asked to comment on Imran Khan’s exclusion from a Pakistani coalition government despite his backed candidates winning the most seats.
Miller responded, emphasizing that it’s ultimately Pakistan’s internal matter and highlighting that such coalition formations are common in parliamentary systems when no party achieves a majority.
A reporter queried Miller on how Washington was handling pressure from certain American lawmakers urging non-acceptance of Pakistan’s elections unless allegations of rigging are thoroughly investigated. Miller underscored the US’s call for a probe into rigging allegations as the appropriate step and reiterated that this stance applies not only to Pakistan but globally. He emphasized that despite concerns, the elections in Pakistan were competitive, and the US looks forward to collaborating with the government elected by the Pakistani people once formed.
The general elections on Feb 8 concluded without any party securing a clear majority to independently form a government. Independent candidates supported by incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan garnered the highest number of seats. However, as they were unable to contest elections under Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) emerged as the party with the most seats, followed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
PTI, led by Khan, has declared victory in the polls, asserting that its affiliated candidates secured the highest number of seats. Khan, in a message from prison on Tuesday, cautioned adversaries against forming a government through “illegitimate votes,” warning of adverse impacts on the country’s economy.
