Pakistanis deserve right to choose their future leaders through free & fair elections: US State Dept

WASHINGTON (92 News) - US Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel has said that Pakistanis deserve to exercise their fundamental right to choose their future leaders through free and fair elections without fear, violence, or intimidation, and it is ultimately for the people of Pakistan to decide their political future.

Responding to queries about the general elections in Pakistan during a press briefing on Monday, he said: "We are continuing to monitor Pakistan’s electoral process quite closely, and as we have said, we want to see that process take place in a way that facilitates broad participation with respect for freedom of expression, assembly, and associations. We have concerns of the – all incidents of violence and restrictions on media freedom; freedom of expression, including internet freedom; and peaceful and – peaceful assembly and association.

"We are concerned by some of the infringements that we have seen in that space. Pakistanis deserve to exercise their fundamental right to choose their future leaders through free and fair elections without fear, violence, or intimidation, and it is ultimately for the people of Pakistan to decide their political future."