US wants to see election 'interference, fraud' claims fully investigated

• US says rigging claims should be probed as per Pakistani laws.
• Says formation of new govt “internal Pakistani matter”.
• Says internet platforms should be available to Pakistanis.

WASHINGTON: The United States on Tuesday again called for a full and transparent investigation of “any claims of interference or fraud” in the February 8 general elections as per Pakistani laws and procedures.

US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller called for a probe when he was asked about the explosive rigging allegations made by former commissioner Rawalpindi Division Liaquat Ali Chatha.

“Any claims of interference or fraud should be fully and transparently investigated in accordance with Pakistan’s own laws and procedures. And that, of course, includes this claim as well,” Miller responded.

When the spokesperson was asked about the US stance on respecting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) mandate, Miller said that the formation of a new government was an “internal" Pakistani matter.

“But – so that’s a matter that I will leave to Pakistan. But as I said, when it comes to the – any claims of interference or allegations of irregularities, we want to see those fully investigated,” said the spokesperson.

X blocked for over 4 days in Pakistan 

Miller was also asked about the blockade of X, formerly known as Twitter, in Pakistan since Saturday during the press conference.

However, the spokesperson shared that he does not have any updates on the issue but stated that the US “always want to see full internet freedom around the world, and that includes the availability of platforms that people use to communicate with each other”.

“We want internet platforms to be available to people in Pakistan and around the world,” said Miller.

Popular social networking platform X was inaccessible to Pakistanis, with the government still keeping mum about the disruption that began on Saturday last week.

The social media platform was accessible for a few hours on Tuesday, but its access was disrupted once again, with no official announcement.

While boasting of being among the top internet user population globally, Pakistan struggles with internet availability, ranking low compared to its peers.