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Afghanistan and Pakistan

My Lords, I invite the Minister to return to the question that has already been raised about the presidential election held on 20 August this year in Afghanistan. She will recollect that President Karzai claims to have attained more than 50 per cent of the vote, but the United Nations-backed independent body, the Elections Complaints Commission, is of the view that some 1.5 million votes—in other words, about one-third of the totality of votes received by the president—are very suspect. I appreciate that the Minister says that the Government will soon come to a conclusion about this matter. In view of the independence of this distinguished body, and indeed of the considerable work in which it has already involved itself, will the Government be prepared in principle to accept that body’s verdict in this connection? It is essential, if there is to be credibility for an Afghan Government, that validity and legality should be established in relation to that matter.