Speaking at a press briefing at the Foreign Press Center, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said that any election irregularities need to be fully investigated, answered, and dealt with consistent with the rule of law. “And that is true for Pakistan; it is true for every country in the world”.

Miller also dismissed claims by India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that the US State Department was orchestrating targeted attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, calling the allegations “absurd” and “completely untrue.” The BJP had accused the U.S. of destabilizing India, citing reports by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) as part of this alleged agenda.

Miller defended US support for press freedom, noting, “We provide professional development training for journalists worldwide as part of our commitment to freedom of expression and press freedom. Associating this with undermining a close partner like India is absurd.”

Addressing the ongoing investigation into Indian agents’ alleged involvement in a murder plot against a U.S. citizen, Miller confirmed that the U.S. has raised concerns with India at senior levels. “This is a matter we regularly raise with the Government of India. We’ve emphasized accountability and have been briefed on their commission of inquiry into this matter,” he said.

General Elections 2024 Pakistan – All Updates

In a drive to get a wide-ranging mutual security treaty over the line earlier this year, Riyadh softened its position on Palestinian statehood, telling Washington that a public commitment from Israel to a two-state solution could be enough for the Gulf kingdom to normalise relations.

But with public anger in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East at fever pitch over Israel’s military actions in Gaza, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has again made recognition of Israel conditional on it taking concrete steps to create a Palestinian state, two Saudi and three Western sources said.

Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu is still eager to secure normalisation with the Saudi powerhouse as a historic milestone and a sign of broader acceptance in the Arab world, Western diplomats said.

But he faces overwhelming opposition at home to any concessions to the Palestinians following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and knows any gesture in the direction of statehood would fracture his ruling coalition, they said.

With both leaders shackled for now by their domestic powerbases, Riyadh and Washington hope a more modest defence pact could be sealed before President Joe Biden leaves the White House in January, the sources said.

A full-blown U.S.-Saudi treaty would need to pass the U.S. Senate with a two-thirds majority – and this would be a non-starter unless Riyadh recognises Israel, the six sources said.

The pact now under discussion would involve expanding joint military exercises and drills to address regional threats, mainly from Iran. It would foster partnerships between U.S. and Saudi defence firms, with safeguards to prevent collaboration with China, the sources said.

The agreement would promote Saudi investment in advanced technologies, especially drone defence. The U.S. would increase its presence in Riyadh through training, logistics and cyber security support, and may deploy a Patriot missile battalion to enhance missile defence and integrated deterrence.

But it would not be the kind of binding mutual defence treaty that would oblige U.S. forces to protect the world’s biggest oil exporter in the event of foreign attack.

“Saudi Arabia will get a security deal which will allow more military cooperation and sales of U.S. weapons, but not a defence treaty similar to that of Japan or South Korea as initially sought,” said Abdelaziz al-Sagher, head of the Gulf Research Institute think-tank in Saudi Arabia.

THE TRUMP DILEMMA

The picture is complicated further, however, by the impending arrival of Donald Trump in the White House.

While Trump’s plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict excludes any provisions for Palestinian statehood or sovereignty, he is a close ally of the Saudi crown prince.

Palestinian and some Arab officials worry that Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner – architect of the “Deal of the Century” and also a close ally of the crown prince – may ultimately persuade him to support the plan.

How the prince reconciles Saudi priorities with this shifting diplomatic landscape will be pivotal, defining both his leadership and the future of the peace process, diplomats said.

The current U.S. administration has not given up hope for a deal on security guarantees before Biden leaves office in January, but a number of obstacles remain. One person in Washington familiar with the talks said there was reason to be sceptical about whether there was enough time to strike a deal.

U.S. officials are mindful that the kingdom is still interested in formally cementing the guarantees it has been seeking, especially to gain access to more advanced weapons, but are uncertain whether it would prefer to get it done under Biden, or wait for Trump, the source said.

“We continue to discuss and have many lines of effort on the table (with the Saudis),” the U.S. official said.

The White House National Security Council declined comment when asked about efforts toward reaching a deal on U.S. security guarantees for Saudi Arabia.

Netanyahu’s office declined to comment when asked about the Saudi position on Palestinian statehood.

A defence treaty giving Saudi Arabia U.S. military protection in exchange for recognising Israel would reshape the Middle East by uniting two long-time foes and binding Riyadh to Washington at a time when China is making inroads in the region.

It would allow the kingdom to shore up its security and ward off threats from Iran and its Houthi allies, to avoid a repeat of the 2019 strikes on its oil facilities, which Riyadh and Washington both blamed on Tehran. Iran has denied any role.

A senior Saudi official said the treaty was 95% complete but Riyadh opted to discuss an alternative agreement, given it was not doable without normalisation with Israel.

Depending on the format, a scaled-down cooperation agreement could be approved without going through Congress before Biden leaves office, two of the sources said.

There were other stumbling blocks in the negotiations to secure a mutual defence treaty.

For instance, there was no progress in the talks about civil nuclear cooperation because Saudi Arabia refused to sign a so-called 123 Agreement with the U.S. that would have denied Riyadh the right to nuclear enrichment, the six sources said.

Saudi objections to articles related to human rights proved to be another area of disagreement, one Saudi source close to the talks told Reuters.

‘THE BIG PRIZE’

While the Saudi leadership strongly advocates Palestinian statehood, it remains uncertain, according to diplomats, how the crown prince would respond if Trump revives the deal he floated in 2020 to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The plan marks a dramatic shift in U.S. policy and international agreements by overtly aligning with Israel and deviating sharply from the long-standing land-for-peace framework that has historically guided negotiations.

It would allow Israel to annex vast stretches of land in the occupied West Bank, including Israeli settlements and the Jordan Valley, and recognises Jerusalem as the “undivided capital of Israel” – effectively denying Palestinian claims to East Jerusalem as their capital, a central aspiration in their statehood goals and in accordance with U.N. resolutions.

By legitimising Israeli annexations, the Trump plan is viewed by many as a severe blow to the two-state solution and Palestinian hopes of statehood.

Saudi officials insist that the creation of a Palestinian state in accordance with previous international agreements, including East Jerusalem as its capital, remains an essential condition for long-term regional peace and stability.
Without it the cycle of violence will continue to jeopardise any normal relations, they say.

“How can we imagine a region integrated if we sidestep the Palestinian issue?” a senior Saudi official said. “You can’t prevent the Palestinian right to self-determination.”

And in some of the harshest criticism of Israel since the start of the Gaza war, the Crown Prince Mohammed called Israel’s military actions in Gaza “collective genocide” in his address to an Arab and Islamic summit in Riyadh this month.

The potential for Saudi normalisation with Israel, however, could be revisited in the future, perhaps once the dust settles after the Gaza war – and possibly under a different Israeli government, diplomats said.

Fawaz Gerges, a Middle East expert at the London School of Economics, said Trump would leverage all possible avenues to secure historic normalisation between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

“For Trump, Saudi Arabia is the big prize,” said Gerges.

“As to how normalisation could happen despite repeated Saudi leaders insistence they will not recognise Israel until a real path to a Palestinian state is set, Trump could promise a ceasefire in Gaza in return for normalisation and tentative promise to support a Palestinian state, without obliging Israel to make any real concessions to the Palestinians.”

Out of a total 366 seats in the Punjab Assembly, PML-N bagged a total of 224 seats in Assembly and remained at the top. PML-N won 139 seats, 21 independents joined it while PML-N got 7 women seats out of total 57 reserved women seats.

Meanwhile Sunni Ittehad Council’s member total strength remained at 106. Pakistan Peoples’ Party bagged 16 seats in Punjab.

PML-Q bagged total 11 seats including 8 won by its candidates while got 3 women seats. Ishtekam-e-Pakistan Party bagged total of 6 seats, one won by its candidate, 3 independents joined it while IPP got 2 women reserved seats.

Tehreek-e-Labbaik, Muslim League Zia and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) got one seat each.

As per details, Salman Akram Raja moved to the ECP, maintaining that he won the NA-128 Lahore seat as per Forms 45 of the constituency. He requested the ECP to declare Aun Chaudhry’s victory null and void.

The ECP, however, rejected the plea and maintained that the PTI-backed independent candidate may approach the election tribunal.

It is pertinent to mention here that according to ECP results, Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) candidate Awn Chaudhry was backed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) secured victory in NA-128 Lahore with 172,576 votes, against PTI backed independent candidate with 159,024 votes.

Read More: Salman Akram Raja moves LHC against election results

Salman Akram Raja had also moved to the Lahore High Court (LHC) and Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the Returning Officer’s decision.

In the petition at the Lahore High Court (LHC), Salman Akram Raja maintained that the Returning Officer violated the Election Act by not releasing the election results on time.

The plea urged the court to order the Returning Officer to compile the election in the plaintiff’s presence.

According to details, the winning margin of Pakistan People’s Party’s candidate Ali Jan Mazari was 3,310 votes on the set against JUI-F’s Shahzain Khan, who secured 100,652 votes.

Form 47 was released despite the pending results of two polling stations.

Similarly, the number of surprisingly rejected votes in provincial circles was more than the votes of the winning candidates. On PS-22, PPP’s Jam Ikram Dharijo was declared the winner with the lead of 20250 votes, while 5,417 votes were rejected for various reasons.

From PS41 Sanghar, PPP’s Ali Hassan won with a difference of 1,632 votes, while shockingly 7,544 votes were rejected in the constituency.

Furthermore, the difference in the PPP candidate’s victory from PS-28 Khairpur was 4,378 votes, while 3425 votes were rejected.

Read more: Maryam Nawaz to chair PML-N’s Punjab parliamentary meeting

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is continuing the hearing of the petitions filed by the candidates of forty constituencies.

According to the details, the losing candidates on various National and four Provincial assembly constituencies challenged the victories of their opponents in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The ECP has also established a designated cell for registration of the complaints at its building in Islamabad.

As per details, the plea was moved by citizen Mian Shabbir Ahmed through his lawyer Azhar Siddique with the Supreme Court’s Lahore registry, seeking a judicial commission to probe the rigging allegations.

It contends that widespread ‘rigging’ occurred throughout the country during the recent general elections.

The petition emphasizes that an inquiry into the alleged fraud be conducted in light of upholding the fundamental rights of citizens.

On Monday, the Supreme Court’s principal seat in Islamabad heard an earlier petition filed against the alleged rigging in elections. The petitioner, Ali Khan, however, did not turn up during the hearing and applied to withdraw his petition.

Read more: SC rejects withdrawal of plea seeking annulment of elections 2024

A bench headed by CJP Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali took up the case.

According to the constitution of Pakistan, the assembly has to meet within 21 days after the election day. The session to administer the oath to the newly-elected members of the house will take place after notification of the reserved seats.

In this context, the Punjab Assembly secretariat has completed its preparation and the final summary for the assembly’s session will be forwarded within 72 hours.

The house that is expected to meet on February 29 will also elect a new speaker, deputy speaker and chief minister.

It is to be noted that with over a dozen independent candidates joining the PML-N, the party has become the single-largest for forming the government in Punjab.

Read more: PML-N has simple majority in Punjab, says Ata Tarar

Earlier, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Ata Tarar said that his party has gained simple majority in Punjab to form its government.

Addressing a news conference he said the PML-N has emerged as the single largest party adding that the members joining the party.

He said the opponents announced their victory over 25 percent results, while Nawaz Sharif gave his victory speech after the announcement of 90 pct results of elections 2024.

Addressing GDA’s protest demonstration against ‘rigging’ in the elections at Hyderabad Bypass, Pir Pagara said that he did not hold election campaign as the elections were already ‘sold’.

“This elections showed that no party represents the centre as no one emerged as a leader at the national level,” he added.

Pir Pagara said that the GDA’s protest is not against any party or institution but against ‘rigging’ in the elections. The GDA chief said that in the current circumstances, the coalition government would not last for more than 10 months.

Pir Pagara said that a large number of youth came out on February 8 and voted for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed independent candidates across the country.

“No one was expecting the independent candidates to secure votes in massive numbers but for the first time in Pakistan’s history independent aspirants got the majority,” the GDA chief said.

Pir Pagara said that the PTI was ‘expelled’ from the electoral process on the basis of Intra-party elections. “I don’t consider Imran Khan a thief. If he is a thief, we all are thieves too,” the GDA chief said.

Speaking on the occasion, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) could not receive even 100,000 votes from the city yet it was ‘awarded’ 15 National Assembly seats.

“PTI and JI were not given even a single National Assembly seat from Karachi despite securing more than one million votes,” he said.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that his party has Forms 45 of all constituencies, according to which the JI and the PTI clinched the majority of seats from Karachi.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam leader Rashid Soomro said that demanded from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to declare the polls in Sindh null and void. He asked the ECP to hold ‘transparent’ elections in the province.

“If Pir Pagara Sahib permits us, we will not let the newly elected members from Sindh take the oath.

GDA leader Fehmida Mirza said that all political parties of Sindh that are ‘affected’ by rigging in the elections should form alliacne at Sindh level.

“The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are commendable for devising a joint strategy,” she added.

IPP’s Gul Asghar Khan was declared the winner by RO with 82577 votes. With the win from NA-88, the number of IPP seats in NA has jumped to three.

Meanwhile, according to unconfirmed and unofficial results of PK-90 Kohat, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed candidate Aftab Alam Afridi emerged as victorious with 45358 votes.

Read more: Elections 2024: Re-polling in Khushab, Kohat, Ghotki underway

Re-polling at the 53 polling stations in Khushab, Kohat and Ghotki was held on Thursday after the angry mob snatched and burned the ballot papers on February 8.

Re-polling continued till 5pm without any break.

Last week, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ordered re-polling in a few polling stations of one National Assembly (NA) and two provincial assembly constituencies.

The ECP withheld the results NA-88, Khushab, PK-90 Kohat and PS-18, Ghotki) after reports emerged that the polling material was destroyed or snatched from the ECP officials in several polling stations.

As per details, the senior leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party, which has reached Karachi from Islamabad after political talks for govt in centre, is likely to take a final decision on the Sindh CM candidate today.

Former president Asif Ali Zardari, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Faryal Talpur will finalise the name for Sindh CM.

Sources say that Murad Ali Shah is the strong contender to regain the Sindh CM House.

Read more: PPP to unveil new CM of Sindh in next few days: party sources

It is to be mentioned here that the People’s Party has won 84 seats in the Sindh Assembly, and it could win the top slot of the province without support from any other party.

The party’s tally of members could reach to 109 members in the house of 168 seats, after the allocation of reserved seats for minorities and women.

The PPP is poised to form the government in Sindh for the fourth consecutive term, MQM-P has won 28 provincial assembly seats, taking back the most seats it had lost to the PTI in the previous election.