Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram on Monday urged the European Union to “stand with the truth and stand with the people of Pakistan” and immediately issue the Commonwealth Observer Group’s report on the 2024 general elections.
Over the weekend, U.S. news portal Drop Site published a report alleging the report on the elections had been “suppressed.” Sharing the text of the report—whose independence and factual veracity could not be independently verified—the portal said it outlined alleged rigging in lead-up to and during the polls. The text shared by Drop Site further pointed to the Supreme Court and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) specifically as failing to ensure a level playing field.
Reacting to the report, a Commonwealth spokesperson said they were aware a “version” of the Observer Group’s report was circulating online. “As a matter of policy, the Commonwealth Secretariat will not comment on leaked documents,” it said, adding the Government of Pakistan and the ECP had already received the report.
“The full report, as we had communicated earlier, will be released later this month, along with a number of COG reports currently in the publication pipeline,” it said, emphasizing that the Commonwealth Secretariat’s work is “carried out free from any interference.”
The Observer Group’s report has been pending for over a year, a significant departure from its usual practice of issuing reports within weeks of their completion.