On Friday 9 February, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, noted the completion of the polling in the general elections, after several months of postponement and against a tense security backdrop.
“We regret the lack of a level playing field due to the inability of some political actors to contest the elections, restrictions to freedom of assembly, freedom of expression both online and offline, restrictions of access to the internet, as well as allegations of severe interference in the electoral process, including arrests of political activists”, he said in a statement.
Noting, nevertheless, an increased turnout of women compared to previous elections, the EU is calling on the Pakistani authorities to quickly investigate the “irregularities” reported and to implement the recommendations of the forthcoming EU Election Expert Mission report.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of imprisoned former-Prime Minister Imran Khan was leading the elections on Friday evening as the count drew to a close, but with a limited lead over the two major parties that traditionally dominate Pakistan’s political scene, according toAFP. Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) remained the best placed to achieve this. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)