The United States called on Monday for respect for freedom of assembly as Pakistani authorities warned they would ban protests by supporters of jailed Prime Minister Imran Khan following his bloc’s surprise election victory.
Asked about Pakistani police’s use of the colonial-era law against public gatherings, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters, “We want to see the freedom of assembly respected anywhere in the world.”
Independent candidates – most of whom are affiliated with Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party – secured the most seats in the election, reducing the chances of the military-backed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of securing a ruling majority. .
However, independents cannot form a government, raising fears of prolonged political uncertainty as PTI leaders claim rigging and call for protests outside election offices.
Miller reiterated previous US calls for an investigation into the fraud claims but noted that the results show a competitive vote.
He said, “We believe the claims of fraud should be fully investigated. This was clearly a competitive election in which people were able to exercise their choice.”