ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Assembly on Friday passed a resolution against a US House of Representatives resolution calling for a probe of alleged voting irregularities in the South Asian nation’s February general election.
The Feb. 8 vote, in which no single party won a clear majority, was marred by violence, communication blackouts and allegations by the party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan that the polls were rigged. The country’s election commission denies this.
Ruling party lawmaker Shaista Malik tabled the resolution which was adopted by the National Assembly despite objections from lawmakers from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party.
In a televised speech, Malik said the US resolution was “completely against the facts” and Pakistan would not tolerate any such interference in its internal affairs.
“The House further regrets that the US resolution does not acknowledge the free and enthusiastic exercise of the right to vote by millions of Pakistanis in the recently held General Election,” the resolution read.
Addressing a weekly news briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch separately said Pakistan “deeply regretted” the resolution, saying it stemmed from an “inadequate and erroneous understanding of the political and electoral processes of Pakistan.”
“It is also an unsolicited interference in Pakistan’s domestic affairs,” she said. “We believe that bilateral relations between countries should be based on mutual respect and sovereign equality … The unsolicited interference from the US Congress is therefore neither welcome nor accepted.”
Baloch said Pakistan wanted relations with the United States “on the basis of mutual trust and confidence and non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs.”
“We also hope that the US Congress would play a more constructive role in strengthening Pakistan-US bilateral relations by focusing on avenues of collaboration for mutual benefit of the relations,” the spokesperson concluded.
Khan’s party won the most seats in Feb. 8 elections but fell short of a simple majority to form a government, paving the way for Khan’s political rivals lead by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to form a coalition government.
Pakistan parliament denounces US congressional resolution calling for probe into general elections
https://arab.news/cfvqq
Pakistan parliament denounces US congressional resolution calling for probe into general elections
- National Assembly adopts resolution despite objections from Imran Khan party lawmakers
- February 8 vote was marred by violence, communication blackouts and allegations of rigging
Pakistan backs Yemen unity, supports Riyadh talks amid regional tensions
- Pakistan urges Yemeni stakeholders to work ‘in good faith’ toward a negotiated political solution
- Ishaq Dar discusses regional situation with the Saudi and Emirati foreign ministers from Beijing
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday welcomed a call by Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council for political dialogue in Riyadh among all factions on the ground, reaffirming its support for Yemen’s unity following a “limited” airstrike by a Saudi-led coalition targeting weapons shipments from the United Arab Emirates to the port city of Mukalla in southern Yemen.
The coalition forces spokesperson said the weapons were meant to support the Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces, backed by the UAE, in Yemen’s Hadramaut and Al-Mahra “with the aim of fueling the conflict.”
Rashad Al-Alimi, President of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, requested the Saudi authorities hold a conference bringing together all factions in southern Yemen, prompting the Kingdom to invite them “to develop a comprehensive vision” for the future.
“Pakistan welcomes the call by Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council to hold comprehensive talks in Riyadh and once again urges all Yemeni stakeholders to engage in good faith toward a negotiated political solution based on agreed parameters,” the foreign office said in a statement.
“Pakistan reaffirms its steadfast support for the unity and territorial integrity of Yemen,” it added.
The diplomatic messaging was reinforced by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, who spoke separately by phone from Beijing with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The foreign office said Dar welcomed the Saudi foreign ministry’s recent statement on Yemen and expressed appreciation for efforts by all sides to resolve the regional situation amicably, while also noting that dialogue and diplomacy had produced “tangible outcomes on the ground.”
Dar arrived in Beijing earlier in the day, where he is due to co-chair the 7th Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue with Wang Yi on Sunday. He will also attend events marking the start of the 75th year of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations, with commemorative initiatives planned throughout 2026.
