WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on the general elections in Pakistan:
“I congratulate the Pakistani people who bravely went to the ballot box this week in anticipation of the country’s second-ever transfer of power between civilian governments. They did so in the face of despicable terrorist violence around the polls, including an attack claimed by the Islamic State in Quetta that killed at least 32 people, and amidst reports by observers of some constraints on freedoms of expression and association in the run-up to the poll. I look forward to working with the new civilian-led government and the opportunity to support the democratic aspirations, peace, and prosperity of the Pakistani people.”
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