Responding to statements made by countries and organisations about the general elections in Pakistan, the Foreign Office has said that some of those were “not even factual”.

“There was no nationwide internet shutdown. Only mobile services were suspended for the day to avoid terrorist incidents on the polling day. The elections exercise has demonstrated that the concerns of many commentators were misplaced,” the FO said in a press release.

“While we value constructive advice from our friends, making negative commentary even before the completion of electoral process is neither constructive nor objective,” it added.

The FO asserted the country would “continue to work towards building a vibrant democratic polity”, adding that “every election and peaceful transition of power brings us closer to that goal”.