Urgent Action on Suppressed Commonwealth Report on Pakistan’s 2024 Elections
I sent the letter below to several people today, including the Australian Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and the Commonwealth Secretary-General in the UK. I believe you may also be interested in reading this report about the global silence surrounding the 2024 Pakistan elections. Any effort to raise awareness about this suppression would be greatly appreciated.
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I am writing to you on behalf of citizens and organisations deeply committed to democratic values, human rights, and the rule of law – principles which our nation, as a proud member of the Commonwealth, has consistently championed. Recent revelations published by Drop Site News have brought to light a matter of grave concern regarding the integrity of Pakistan’s February 2024 elections and the role of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
According to the leaked report authored by the Commonwealth’s own Election Observer Group (EOG), Pakistan’s election was marred by widespread fraud, suppression of political freedoms, and actions that unlawfully kept candidates – particularly those aligned with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) – out of office.
The EOG, led by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, documented severe curbs on freedom of association, assembly, expression, and political participation, including the banning of PTI’s electoral symbol, mass arrests, and systemic intimidation of candidates and supporters.
The Observer Group also found discrepancies between polling stations and tabulated results, manipulation of vote counts, and deliberate digital blackouts that undermined transparency – raising the unprecedented conclusion that certain candidates may have been “unlawfully returned” to office. These findings make the Commonwealth report the most comprehensive documentation to date of election irregularities in Pakistan.
Yet, despite these grave findings, the Commonwealth Secretariat suppressed this report for over a year – reportedly at Pakistan’s request – marking the first time in the organisation’s 70-year history that an election observer report was not published. This suppression has shielded an undemocratic government from scrutiny, eroded public trust in Commonwealth institutions, and undermined our profound commitment to democracy and the rule of law.
As a nation that publicly upholds democratic freedoms and human rights, we must call for the immediate publication of the full report before the upcoming United Nations General Assembly. We must make clear that Commonwealth institutions cannot be complicit in legitimising electoral fraud or political repression. Silence or delay would amount to tacit endorsement of anti-democratic practices, setting a dangerous precedent for the entire Commonwealth.
I therefore urge your offices to:
Publicly call upon the Commonwealth Secretariat to release the full Pakistan 2024 Election Observer Report without further delay.
Raise this matter directly with the Commonwealth Secretary-General and member states, emphasising the need for transparency and adherence to democratic principles.
Advocate for concrete measures – including an independent review of the suppression decision – to restore the credibility of the Commonwealth’s election monitoring processes.
This is a pivotal moment for the Commonwealth’s integrity. Our nation has both the moral authority and the diplomatic weight to insist on accountability and transparency. By taking swift action, we will reaffirm our commitment to the principles enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter and send a clear signal that the international community stands with the people of Pakistan in their democratic aspirations.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this urgent matter.
Yours sincerely,
SAKIB AWAN
Pyrmont, Sydney
Original article link: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/suppressed-pakistan-election-report-imran-khan-pti
cc.
Commonwealth Secretary-General, UK
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
Australian Human Rights Commission, Lorraine Finlay
Amnesty, head office
Human Rights Law Centre
Paul Sakkal, Nine Fairfax Media
Professor Geoffrey Sachs
Professor Kishore Mahbubani