Donald Lu to appear before Congressional panel today

Ahead of appearing before Congressional panel, US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu has submitted a statement expressing Washington’s concerns about irregularities in the Pakistan’s Feb 8 elections.

The written statement also emphasized the need to stay engaged with Islamabad to assist it navigate through the crises it is facing.

Lu is set to testify today before subcommittee of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The hearing is titled ‘Pakistan After the Elections: Examining the Future of Democracy in Pakistan and the US-Pakistan Relationship’.

This two-party hearing is likely to draw significant attendance from both Republican and Democrat legislators.

Lu, in his written statement, highlighted US’s concerns about election irregularities encompassing restrictions on freedoms, electoral violence, and allegations of interference in Pakistan.

Several political leaders faced obstacles, such as inability to register specific candidates and political parties, he mentioned

US Assistant Secretary of State, additionally, highlighted abuse and harassment faced by several journalists, particularly female journos from party supporters.

Lu, however, acknowledged in his statement positive aspects including significant turnout of over 60 million voters and a record number of women and minority candidates.