31 US lawmakers demand Biden to withhold recognition of Pakistan’s new govt

Members of the US Congress have written a letter to US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, advising against acknowledging the new government of Pakistan due to alleged "election irregularities".

Representative Greg Casar from Texas, along with 31 Congress lawmakers, underscored the importance of conducting a "thorough, transparent, and credible" examination of the February 8 election before any official recognition by the US government.

The letter also demanded holding Pakistan accountable for its treatment of political prisoners and urged the US government to stop “military and other cooperation” with the country until it adheres to human rights principles and respects democratic processes.

Journalists Ryan Grim and Murtaza Hussain, in a piece for the Intercept, stated, “The congressional letter could pressure the Biden administration to stall a phone call or meeting with the new Pakistani government.”

“The time to collect signatures on the letter was short, Casar said, as a coalition of Pakistani political parties rushed to form a government with military backing following the election. Though a clear majority of Pakistanis voted in favor of candidates aligned with former Prime Minister Imran Khan, authorities manipulated the results, allowing Khan’s opponents to form a coalition,” the Intercept quoted the Congressman as saying. 

The US State Department, following Pakistan's general elections, has consistently urged Pakistani authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent inquiry into allegations of "interference or fraud" in the February 8 general elections.

The aftermath of the general election in Pakistan was marred by allegations of rigging and irregularities. Independent candidates, backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secured a surprising number of seats in the national assembly and Punjab and achieved a sweeping victory in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP0), despite losing its iconic bat symbol due to a Supreme Court ruling.

PTI was able to secure these wins despite its candidates having varied electoral symbols and its founder Imran Khan facing incarceration with multiple sentences related to cipher, Toshakhana, and an unlawful nikah case. 

The allegations of electoral irregularities gained prominence in the media after discrepancies were found between Form 45s, the individual result of each polling station, and Form 47s, the final result of the entire constituency. 

These discrepancies sparked accusations of manipulating the results to favour certain candidates, leading international organisations and several politicians in the West to call for an investigation into the reports of alleged rigging.