ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Taking note of statements from certain countries and organizations on the general elections held in Pakistan on February 8, 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that we are surprised by the negative tone of some of these statements, which neither take into account the complexity of the electoral process nor acknowledge the free and enthusiastic exercise of the right to vote by tens of millions of Pakistanis.
In a statement on Saturday, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that these statements ignore the undeniable fact that Pakistan has held general elections, peacefully and successfully, while dealing with serious security threats resulting primarily from foreign sponsored terrorism.
The Spokesperson said that some statements are not even factual as there was no nationwide internet shutdown and only mobile services were suspended for the day to avoid terrorist incidents on the polling day.
Ambassador Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that the elections exercise has demonstrated that the concerns of many commentators were misplaced.
“Pakistan held the elections as part of its commitment to building a stable and democratic society, she said.
While we value constructive advice from our friends, making negative commentary even before the completion of electoral process is neither constructive nor objective, she added.
The Spokesperson said that “Pakistan will continue to work towards building a vibrant democratic polity. Every election and peaceful transition of power brings us closer to that goal. We do this not on account of the concerns expressed by others but because that is the aspiration of our people and the vision of our founding fathers.”
