The United States administration has the people of Pakistani people have the right to choose their leader without fear or reprisal or violence as it condemned the Sibi blast that killed four people and wounded six.
“We remain committed to working with Pakistan to address the shared threat posed by terrorist groups throughout the region,” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a press briefing on Wednesday. “And we support the Pakistani Government’s efforts to combat terrorism.”
The blast ripped through the GPO Chowk in Balochistan’s Sibi after a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf cavalcade passed through the area on Tuesday.
The South Asian country prepares for the delayed general elections, which are scheduled to take place on February 8.
“We strongly condemn any violence which undermines the electoral process,” Miller said.
The US administration extended its sympathies to those affected by the attack near the PTI rally.
“We believe in the resilience of the Pakistani people and their ability to recover. This attack is one of many we have seen in the last month against multiple parties across Pakistan,” he said and noted that the Election Commission of Pakistan itself has come under attack in several places.
The electoral watchdog has summoned an emergency meeting amid deteriorating law and order conditions ahead of the election 2024.
“The ECP has called an emergency meeting tomorrow (Thursday, February 1) at 3:00pm in the wake of worsening law and order situation in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ahead of the general elections 2024,” the electoral watchdog said in a statement on Wednesday.
While responding to a query related to arrest of a number of PTI workers, Miller said: “We have long said, we want to see free and fair elections take place in Pakistan.”
