Pakistan hurt by Congressional panel hearing remarks

Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch has said that Pakistan values its ties with the United States, but there were many misunderstandings regarding Islamabad’s polls laws during the Congressional panel hearing.

Addressing a weekly press briefing today, Mumtaz Zahra said that in the meeting of the US committee yesterday, there were several misunderstandings regarding Pakistani election laws.

Yesterday, US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu, had appeared at a hearing of House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee titled ‘Pakistan After the elections: Examining the future of Democracy in Pakistan and the US Pakistan relationship’.

Lu called for launching a probe into the electoral fraud claims in Pakistan. He said that the US was closely monitoring the investigation into the rigging allegations.

Lu mentioned that undue restrictions on freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly during the Feb 8 elections.

Pakistan’s stand on this issue is old, the spokesperson said while commenting on the matter pertaining to the sentencing of Dr Shakeel Afridi.

Dr Afridi was punished by a Pakistani court. Any exchange of prisoners is not discussed in the media, she said.