London, Sep 29 (NationPress) The Commonwealth Observer Group's (COG) involvement in supervising Pakistan's February 2024 elections has been largely interpreted as a move to conceal electoral fraud and silence its own investigative findings, according to a report released on Monday.

The report indicated that the Commonwealth, primarily composed of former British colonies, was founded to endorse and maintain democratic values. However, it appears to have acted in a manner that protects a regime that gained power through manipulated elections.

Upon assuming her role as the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Observer Group, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey found herself entangled in a challenging diplomatic situation. She was leading an organization focused on election integrity, which was allegedly complicit in hiding extensive electoral fraud. Her predecessor, Patricia Scotland, had overseen the observation of the elections held on February 8, 2024, which exhibited clear and significant irregularities that favored the government's agenda over that of Imran Khan.

According to the investigative report from the Washington-based outlet, 'Drop Site,' sources indicated that Scotland faced mounting pressure from member states, Pakistani media, and stakeholders involved with COG's election report to publish it before her departure in March 2025.

Scotland was anticipated to release the report as a concluding act. However, following a discussion with a senior Pakistani official—who warned that the report's release might incite unrest—Scotland, who had established close personal relations with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, opted to pass the issue to her successor.

The report also stated that in a meeting at Marlborough House in London in late August, Botchwey informed Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar that she had no plans to disclose COG’s findings, recognizing the potential negative repercussions for the Pakistani government. Having taken over the situation from Scotland, Botchwey now bore full responsibility.

The February 2024 election was preceded by a military-driven no-confidence vote that ousted former Prime Minister Imran Khan from power.

Additionally, the report highlighted that Khan had fallen out of favor with the military and the US and EU due to his outspoken critiques of US foreign policy in the region and his refusal to align with their stance on the Ukraine conflict.

Moreover, the report asserted that democracy in Pakistan has reached an alarming low since the nation's inception, citing pervasive suppression of opposition parties through arrests, disappearances, torture, and other means, which have fortified the military's hold on power.