ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar assured US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday night his interim would work diligently to facilitate free and fair elections in the country while calling for stronger relations with Washington.

Kakar was appointed by President Arif Alvi to run the caretaker administration of the country after the dissolution of the National Assembly. He took an oath of his office earlier this week and is currently in the process of selecting his interim cabinet.

Secretary Blinken offered congratulations to the caretaker Pakistani prime minister on Wednesday in a post on social media site X, formally known as Twitter, while highlighting Washington’s commitment to Pakistan’s economic prosperity.

“Thank you @SecBlinken,” Kakar wrote in response. “The interim government will be assiduously working to facilitate a free and fair election process in Pakistan according to the Constitution.”

“We place importance on our partnership with the US and deeply value the shared commitment to economic prosperity, democracy and stability in the region,” he continued.

The United States and Pakistan cherished close diplomatic and strategic ties during the Cold War days, though their relations become more complex after the Soviet meltdown in the 1980s.

The two countries also collaborated with each other after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington. However, the two decades of war in Pakistan’s neighborhood tested their relationship that underwent several highs and lows.

More recently, Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan accused the Biden administration in Washington for orchestrating his government’s downfall in a parliamentary no-confidence vote, though the American officials have repeatedly denied the claim.