US says supports free, transparent polls in Pakistan

WASHINGTON: The United States has said it supports free and transparent elections in Pakistan.

Spokesperson for the US Department of State, Heather Nauert, said in a statement on Tuesday, “The United States supports free, fair, and transparent, accountable elections in Pakistan as we do in other countries around the world.”

“The United States along with other international partners has supported Pakistan’s implementation of its historic 2017 electoral reforms law.

“My understanding is that this is the first time that law will actually be put into effect for these elections. We hope that the new comprehensive and transparent legal framework facilitates the peaceful transfer of civilian power to a democratically elected government,” she said.

The General Elections 2018 will be held on July 25 this year for both the Centre and provinces.

The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) completes its five-year term on May 31.

After this, a caretaker setup headed by interim prime minister Justice ® Nasirul Mulk will take over to ensure a transparent and free electoral process.

When asked about the further investigation into the case of an American diplomat who was recently involved in a traffic accident in Islamabad, the spokesperson shared: “I don’t have any updates to provide beyond what we’ve provided already.”