report in The News,August 30, 2023
WASHINGTON: The United States (US) State Department said Tuesday that Acting Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland underscored the importance of free, fair and timely general elections in Pakistan in a telephonic conversation with interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani.
“Acting Deputy Secretary Nuland and Foreign Minister Jilani discussed the importance of timely, free and fair elections in a manner consistent with Pakistan’s laws and constitution,” according to State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller.
The top US diplomat called Jillani to congratulate him on his appointment as interim foreign minister and discussed broadening and deepening the US-Pakistan partnership on issues of mutual concern.
Matters related to Pakistan’s economic stability, prosperity, and continued engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were also deliberated upon, Spokesperson Miller added.
Pakistas political spectrum experienced a year-long crisis, with the focal point being former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was ousted through a vote of no confidence last year.
Khan attributed his removal to the US and Pakistan’s former army chief, General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa.
However, both Washington and the military have categorically refuted the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief’s allegations. The official statement from the State Department regarding the telephone conversation between Nuland and Jilani did not mention Khan in any way.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday suspended the incarcerated PTI chief’s sentence on corruption charges in the Toshakhana case, but he would remain behind bars as a judge had already ordered his detention in another case.
The conviction of Khan has also barred him from contesting elections for five years.
Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar took over the reins of the country as its caretaker prime minister in mid-August, whose prime responsibility is to govern the country until upcoming elections which could potentially be postponed beyond November due to new demarcations of the constituencies by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
On August 17, the ECP announced the schedule of new delimitations to be carried out as per the new census approved by the Council of Common Interest (CCI).
The electoral body’s schedule showed that fresh delimitation would take nearly four months, meaning the general elections in the country cannot be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the provincial and national assemblies.
As per the schedule, the new delimitation of constituencies nationwide will be notified in December this year.
On August 29, the Foreign Office said it had not yet received any such communication from any capital after reports of some senior diplomats expressing reservations regarding the delay in polls in Pakistan surfaced, sources informed The News.
If a country raises any doubts and concerns, the FO said, the authorities can address them.
The FO’s response came after reports floated about some senior diplomats suggesting that a delay in the elections could have negative effects on Pakistan’s relationships with democratic nations.
It was also reported that a few countries have engaged with the authorities concerned about the electoral process to gauge the possibility of any unwarranted postponement of the polls.
Highly placed sources within the FO informed The News on Monday that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has already unequivocally stated there are no plans to postpone the elections.
Meanwhile, FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch clarified that she has no knowledge of any messages from any capital on this matter, as the positions of Pakistan and other countries on the issue are already known. https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1105138-top-us-diplomat-underscores-importance-of-timely-fair-polls-in-pakistan
