The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed, with an overwhelming majority, a bipartisan resolution "to support democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Pakistan."
Pakistan responded by describing the non-binding measure as 'unconstructive,' which showed that US lawmakers did not understand Pakistan's political situation.
US Congressperson Dan Kildee moved the resolution as a bipartisan legislature, and it received an overwhelming 368 votes in favour and seven against.
The resolution said that the February 8, 2024, general elections in Pakistan were "marked by credible allegations of electoral interference, violence, intimidation, internet and telecommunications blackouts, and restrictions on free expression, association and peaceful assembly."
The resolution expressed support for democracy in Pakistan, including free and fair elections reflecting the will of the Pakistani people; called on the Biden administration to strengthen its engagement with Pakistan to ensure democracy, human rights, and the rule of law are upheld; called on Pakistani authorities to uphold democratic institutions, human rights, and the rule of law, and respect freedoms such as due process, freedom of press, freedom of assembly, and freedom of speech; condemned efforts to suppress the people of Pakistan's participation in their democracy, or subvert Pakistan's electoral, political, and judicial institutions; encouraged the full and independent investigation of fraud or interference Pakistan's February 2024 general elections.
The passage of the resolution has been seen by some as a massive blow to the government and the credibility of the February 8, 2024, general elections, for which the US had initially voiced acceptance. It is also being seen as a victory for the embattled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who went into the general elections with their party chief and key leaders either behind bars or in hiding while the party itself was barred by the courts from running for the elections and instead had to field candidates as independents and are currently embroiled in a legal battle for being allocated representation on reserved seats and against allegations of rigging. The resolution and near-unanimous voting have seemingly endorsed the PTI view that the February 2024 elections had been rigged against them and that the current parliament was not representative of the true will of the people.
After the bipartisan bill passed, Kildee said he was pleased the US House of Representatives had passed the bipartisan resolution to support democracy and human rights in Pakistan.
"The people of Pakistan deserve free and fair elections, and their human rights and fundamental freedoms must be respected. We must continue working with Pakistan to ensure democracy, human rights and rule of law are upheld."
The resolution had previously been moved and passed unanimously from the US House Foreign Affairs Committee in March this year.
"Allegations surrounding the 2024 Pakistani election have highlighted the urgent need to protect democracy, human rights, and the rule of law against foreign influences and promote regional stability. We stand firm in our support for democracy and free and fair elections in Pakistan. We call upon the President of the United States and the Secretary of State to work closely with Pakistan to champion human rights and good governance," said Congressperson Rich McCormick after the vote.
Congressperson Kildee has long advocated for democracy and human rights in Pakistan. In May 2023, Kildee sent a letter to US Secretary of State Blinken, urging him to use all diplomatic tools available to move the Pakistani government towards greater commitment to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.
In February this year, Kildee had condemned attempts to undermine Pakistan's democratic process or suppress the will of the Pakistani people and called for the full investigation of violence and interference in Pakistan's election.
'Respect rights of people'
The issue was raised before the State Department on Wednesday, which said that the US administration had raised the matter with Pakistan publicly and privately, urging them to "respect the rights of its people."
"We continuously urge the government of Pakistan to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedoms of expression, association, peaceful assembly, and religion, as well as the rights of marginalized populations such as women and religious minorities," said US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller during his regular press briefing at the State Department on Wednesday.
Miller, however, refused to present the State Department or the US government's view on the resolution. But he maintained that generally, senior officials – including Secretary Antony Blinken and US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome – had consistently, both privately and publicly, urged Pakistan to respect the rights of its people and live within its constitutional and international obligations.
Pakistan's response
Pakistan on Wednesday refuted the resolution passed by the US House of Representatives, noting that it was neither constructive nor objective for showing a lack of understanding of its political situation and electoral process.
In response to media queries regarding the resolution, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan had taken note of it.
"We believe that the timing and context of this particular resolution does not align well with the positive dynamics of our bilateral ties, and stems from an incomplete understanding of the political situation and electoral process in Pakistan," she remarked.
The spokesperson said that Pakistan, as the world's second-largest parliamentary democracy and fifth-largest democracy overall, was committed to the values of constitutionalism, human rights, and the rule of law in pursuit of its national interest.
The spokesperson said Pakistan believes in constructive dialogue and engagement based on mutual respect and understanding.
"Such resolutions are therefore neither constructive nor objective. We hope that the US Congress will play a supportive role in strengthening Pakistan-US ties and focus on avenues of mutual collaboration that benefit both our peoples and countries," she added.