Islamabad
\nThe Foreign Office on Thursday said that concerns raised over the Feb 8 general elections during a US Congressional hearing \u201creflected a misunderstanding\u201d of the country\u2019s domestic situation and electoral laws.
\nThe comments come a day after US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu told a Congressional panel that if the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) failed to investigate allegations of irregularities in the Feb 8 elections, it will \u201cretard\u201d America\u2019s relationship with Pakistan.
\nAsked if the ECP\u2019s failure to investigate irregularities would impact US-Pakistan relations, Lu had said it would be an impediment to the relationship of 76 years if Pakistan did not have a democratic process that upholds its own Constitution.
\n\u201cIt will retard our ability to have the type of relationship we want, in security matters, on [the] business front and people to people. All that suffers if Pakistan is not a full democracy,\u201d the diplomat had replied.
\n\u201cWe have never used the term \u2018free and fair\u2019 in characterising these elections,\u201d Lu had said in response to a question from Congressman August Pfluger, a Texas Republican.
\nResponding to a query during a weekly media briefing today, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said \u201csome statements made there (during the hearing) reflected [a] misunderstanding of Pakistan\u2019s domestic situation and electoral laws\u201d.
\nAccording to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan, the spokesperson expressed the hope to \u201cengage in meaningful discussion with the United States to address these misunderstandings\u201d.
\nZahra emphasised that Pakistan valued its close relations with the US and believed in constructive engagement with it.
\nWhile noting that Pakistan respected the prerogative of legislative bodies to discuss international issues, she stressed that \u201cthe deliberations of these legislative bodies should contribute [to] promoting positive dynamics in bilateral ties based on mutual respect and understanding\u201d.
\nLu \u2018denying everything\u2019 about cipher meeting: Gohar
\nIt should be mentioned that Lu is the diplomat whose supposed warning to former Pakistan Ambassador to the US Asad Majeed was the subject of a cipher sent by the envoy to Islamabad.
\nThe same document was the basis of ex-premier Imran Khan\u2019s allegation of a US conspiracy to oust his government in 2022. The PTI founder is currently on trial for mishandling the same confidential document.
\nDuring the US Congressional hearing on Wednesday, Lu termed the allegations against him by Imran \u2014 the crux of the \u2018cablegate\u2019 cipher controversy \u2014 as a \u201cconspiracy theory, lie and complete falsehood\u201d.
\nWhen asked if the election results would have been different if alleged irregularities were not committed, Lu said that was for the ECP to decide. However, the diplomat agreed with the suggestion that the ECP should hold re-election if it found evidence of substantial rigging in some constituencies.
\n\u201cThe US does not go around recognising new governments,\u201d he said, when Congressman Greg Casar, a Texas Democrat, asked him if Washington recognises the new government in Pakistan. The US administration, he said, works with the government in power.
\nCommenting on Lu\u2019s remarks about the cipher, PTI\u2019s Barrister Gohar Khan termed them a \u201ccomplete lie\u201d. Speaking to the media in Rawalpindi, he alleged that the US diplomat \u201cdenied everything\u201d about his meeting with Majeed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Islamabad The Foreign Office on Thursday said that concerns raised over the Feb 8 general elections during a US Congressional hearing \u201creflected a misunderstanding\u201d of the country\u2019s domestic situation and electoral laws. The comments come a day after US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu told a Congressional panel that if the Election Commission of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":299229,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-395387","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n