‘We support peaceful upholding of democratic principles’: US on Pakistan elections

• State Dept makes comment on Pakistan elections.
• "We champion rule of law," says spokesperson.
• US says capable of conducting operations in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON: The State Department on Thursday maintained that the US “supports the peaceful upholding of fundamental democratic principles such as free media, free speech, freedom assembly” in Pakistan and around the world.

The comment from Matthew Miller, State Department’s spokesperson, came on Thursday during a regular briefing when his attention was drawn towards elections expected later this year.

“The stakes are very high for the coming election, and experts believe that the elections in Pakistan [are] unlikely to be free and fair. How does the United States promote and support the principles of free and fair elections in Pakistan?” he was asked.

In response, Miller said: “I will make clear that we support the peaceful upholding of fundamental democratic principles such as free media, free speech, freedom assembly. We champion the rule of law, not just in Pakistan but around the world. These principles are the foundations for democratic elections.”

The government has hinted at dissolving the National Assembly before the end of its constitutional term, August 12, with consultations of coalition partners underway on the caretaker setup.

Election Commission of Pakistan’s Special Secretary Zafar Iqbal has said that if the NA is dissolved after completing its tenure, then the ECP will hold the polls before October 11.

Terrorism 

About terrorist incidents in Pakistan and the role of the Taliban government in stopping Afghan soil from being used by the militants, Miller said the Kabul rulers would be held accountable for their commitments made to the international community.

“But as we have said before, we remain – we retain the ability to conduct our own operations in the region to ensure that, regardless of any promises that the Taliban makes and regardless of their relative ability or willingness to uphold them, that we retain the right to protect American interests,” he added.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks following Afghan Taliban's return to power in August 2021 and called upon the interim rulers to take decisive actions against terrorists, including the TTP, responsible for cross-border attacks.

Terror activities in the country have soared by 79% during the first half of 2023, a statistical report released by the independent think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) showed.

In two days — from July 18 to 20 — four terrorist attacks rocked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, with six law enforcers embracing martyrdom and several others sustaining injuries.

Minorities’ rights 

To a question about minorities’ rights in Pakistan, the US official stated that they “support the free exercise of religion anywhere in the world and oppose any attempts or uses of violence to suppress that right of people to exercise their freedom of religion.”

The journalist asking the question referred to reports that a 150-year-old Hindu temple had been demolished in the city of lights, Karachi. 

Local authorities have denied the reports, with Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab saying that "no such demolition of the mandir has taken place and mandir is still intact".

However, attacks on Hindu temples are a very grim reality in Pakistan.

A gang of robbers fired mortar shells recently at Gulshan Dera Baba Sanwal Shah, the temple of Baghariji minority community, near Ghouspur in district Kashmore.

Giyanchand Essrani, Sindh minister for minorities affairs, then urged dacoits in the province's riverine belt not to harm its Hindu community that has been peacefully residing in the region for the past several centuries.