Islamabad:

Imran Khan, Pakistan’s embattled former prime minister and founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, received unexpected international support on Tuesday ahead of Thursday’s election, with the United Nations human rights body condemning “all acts of violence against political parties and candidates.”

With just two days left until the polls, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights also urged authorities to uphold basic freedoms necessary for “an inclusive and meaningful democratic process” while speaking of the obstacles faced by women and minority communities in Pakistan, Especially the Ahmadis.

The United Nations Human Rights Office said in a statement that on the eve of the vote, at least 24 attacks by armed groups against members of political parties had been reported.

“Pakistan’s democratic gains over the past 15 years have been hard-won in the face of many security and economic challenges. The elections are an important moment to reaffirm the country’s commitment to human rights and democracy and ensure the participation rights of all its people, including women. and minorities,” U.N. human rights spokesperson Liz Trossell said in a statement.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is therefore troubled by the “pattern of harassment, arrest and prolonged detention of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders and their supporters that persisted during the elections” and said, “Former Prime Minister Imran Khan Multiple legal proceedings were filed against him, his candidacy was disqualified and he was sentenced to lengthy prison terms.”

“We hope that the High Court will carefully review these conclusions in the light of applicable due process and fair trial rights, as well as Pakistan’s wider international human rights obligations. All eligible parties must be able to compete fairly,” Trossell said.

Furthermore, the election serves as a reminder of the obstacles faced by women and minority communities in Pakistan, especially the Ahmadis, the statement said, adding that although 22 per cent of the seats in the National Assembly are reserved for women, some Political parties appear to have fallen short of the legal quota of 5% of female candidates on party lists.

“While Pakistan’s constitution guarantees equal rights to minorities, separate electoral lists – as is the case with the Ahmadis – expose them to harassment and violence,” it criticized.

“Bearing in mind Pakistan’s political journey,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called on authorities to ensure full “free and fair voting” and recommit themselves to the democratic process and the promotion and protection of the environment in all aspects. Economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights are clearly interrelated, the statement added.

Khan and his party claim there is no level playing field in the ongoing electoral process. The PTI leader also blamed the powerful military establishment for preventing him from returning to power.

The electoral body stripped his party of its iconic cricket bat as its electoral symbol, rejected nomination papers from him and other party leaders, and at least one party leader was killed in vote-related violence in the latest A key candidate was indicted in a terrorism case in Lahore.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)