EU flags Pakistan elections for 'inequality'

Pakistan elections
The election this week featured a 'lack of equality', the EU said: Photo | Reuters

Islamabad/Washington: A European Union monitoring team said on Friday that the campaign for Pakistan's general election this week featured a 'lack of equality' that meant it was not a level playing field for all parties. The United States also expressed concern about "flaws" in the campaign process leading up to the Pakistani election.

The State Department of US in a statement said: "These included constraints placed on freedoms of expression and association during the campaign period that were at odds with Pakistani authorities’ stated goal of a fully fair and transparent election,"

Michael Gahler, chief observer of the EU Election Observation Mission, told a news conference in its preliminary assessment of the poll, "Although there were several legal provisions aimed at ensuring a level playing field, we have concluded that there was a lack of equality and (of) opportunity."

Pakistan cricket legend-turned-politician Imran Khan has declared victory with a large lead in the nearly complete vote count.

The party of jailed ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif has said elements of the powerful military suppressed its campaign and made accusations of rigging during the counting process after Wednesday's vote.

West keenly watching

With Imran Khan, who has been known for his anti-American rhetoric, is poised to become nuclear-armed Pakistan's leader, Washington will be watching closely for signs of whether he will follow a path of confrontation or continue with the conciliatory tone he struck in his election victory speech.

Officially allies in fighting terrorism, Pakistan and the United States have a complicated relationship, bound by Washington's dependence on Pakistan to supply its troops in Afghanistan but plagued by accusations Islamabad is playing a double game.

Tensions have grown over US complaints that the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network that target American troops in Afghanistan are allowed to shelter on Pakistani soil.

"We want a relationship with America that benefits both the countries, that it is a balanced relationship, and God willing, we will try our best for that balanced relationship," Khan said in his victory speech on Thursday.

However, some experts believe that his years of anti-American rhetoric, which prompted opponents to mock him with the nickname 'Taliban Khan', will make improving relations difficult.

"Even if (Khan) starts toning down his rhetoric, I don't know if he can send any signals to make Washington hopeful," said Sameer Lalwani, co-director of the South Asia programme at the Stimson Center think-tank.

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