The European Union (EU) has said it might not send an election observer mission to Pakistan to monitor the upcoming general elections in the South Asian country.
Michael Gahler, head of the European Union Parliament’s Election Observation Mission, told a visiting delegation of Pakistani journalists “we are not sure whether general elections will be held in Pakistan in 2023 or not”.
Gahler, a member of the European Union’s Parliament since 1999, served as Pakistan EOM’s director in 2008, 2013 and 2018.
He stated that the EOM required an invitation from the Pakistani government at least three months prior to the election date in order to send their observation team for the purpose of observing the election. However, he said, “we haven’t yet received an invitation from Pakistan.”
According to his understanding, elections in Pakistan should take place in October of this year. The EU legislator stated, “But there are no signs of the election, so it will not be possible to send an observation mission; however, if the election is held next year, we can hope to send an expert mission.”
He said that this year they could only send a small expert delegation and that even for that trip they needed an invitation from Pakistan.
In response to a query, he stated that the government and the election commission always invited his observation expedition to Pakistan.
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