EXCLUSIVE — An unreleased Commonwealth of Nations election observer report allegedly obtained and published in full by Drop Site News has raised questions about the conduct of Pakistan’s February 2024 general election. The 13 member Commonwealth Elections Observer Group (EOG), led by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, was deployed to monitor the polls. While the group’s initial public statement after the vote was broadly positive, the official report never made public by the Commonwealth Secretariat was allegedly far more critical.
According to Drop Site News, the report documented actions that allegedly violated fundamental political rights, including freedom of association, assembly and expression. It further alleged that certain decisions by state institutions consistently limited one party’s ability to compete on a level playing field. The observers also allegedly recorded discrepancies between polling station results and constituency level tallies, stating these may have resulted in some candidates being unlawfully returned, a term used in election law to mean declared winners.
The Commonwealth Secretariat, Drop Site News reports, informally shared the findings with Pakistani authorities soon after the election. The government then allegedly requested the report be withheld. The Secretariat has since stated that the Pakistan report, along with others, is scheduled for release by the end of this month but did not explain why it had remained unpublished for over a year.
The leaked document also allegedly highlighted restrictions on political participation, including bans on party symbols and candidates running under their party banner. It described alleged communication disruptions such as internet and mobile service shutdowns on election day, which the report said reduced transparency. Observers also allegedly received reports of arrests and raids targeting members and supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf (PTI) party. While the report praised increased youth and female voter turnout, it raised concerns that these votes may not have been accurately reflected in the final results.
The Commonwealth report is one of two major assessments by international observers of the 2024 election. The other, an EU Election Expert Mission report, has also never been published. This marks the first time in the history of foreign observation of Pakistani democracy that both the Commonwealth and the EU have withheld their reports. In 2018, the EU deployed a larger mission to Pakistan and published a report critical of then Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government. In 2024, however, the EU sent a smaller mission and produced no public report.
According to Drop Site News, multiple attempts by EU citizens to obtain the document under freedom of information laws were rejected by the European External Action Service (EEAS), which argued that disclosure would undermine the public interest as regards international relations. The EEAS also told the European Ombudsman that even partial access would be negatively perceived by Pakistan and therefore the report must remain confidential. The Ombudsman did not respond to Drop Site News’s request for comment.
Dr Hussain Nadim, affiliated with George Washington University, told Drop Site News that European unease with Khan allegedly dates back to the start of the Ukraine war, when he rejected calls from Western envoys to supply weapons and publicly rebuked them. Nadim suggested this may explain why Western governments have allegedly been reluctant to release reports critical of Pakistan’s current military backed government. However, he added that with the Ukraine war nearing its end, there may be less incentive to overlook the state of democracy and human rights in Pakistan.
The suppression of the Commonwealth report comes as the organization continues to engage closely with Pakistan’s ruling authorities. Drop Site News notes that Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has met frequently with both outgoing Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland and incoming Secretary General Shirley Botchway, even presenting gifts, in what observers allegedly described as unusually frequent contact for a Pakistani foreign minister.
While praising Pakistan’s enormous democratic potential, the unpublished EOG report also allegedly addressed the role of the establishment in politics, stating: “For democracy to flourish in Pakistan, there must be a much clearer demarcation between establishment and civilian authority in line with the country’s Constitution and international law. Political parties and all organs of the state, including the establishment, must establish new rules of engagement that place the sanctity of independent democratic institutions and processes out of the bounds of political maneuverings.”
Editor’s Note
This article is based on information, quotations and descriptions reported by Drop Site News, which states it has obtained a leaked copy of the Commonwealth of Nations election observer report. All allegations, claims and interpretations referenced herein are attributed to Drop Site News or to named sources. RepublicPK has not independently reviewed the original document and does not assert the accuracy of the allegations. The content is presented for public interest reporting and should be understood in that context.