ISLAMABAD: A senior State Department official said on Wednesday the United States had consistently urged Pakistan to respect its citizens’ rights and legal obligations, following a resolution by US lawmakers demanding an impartial investigation into election manipulation allegations after the February 8 national polls.
The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted for a resolution to support democracy in Pakistan a day earlier, condemning “attempts to suppress the people of Pakistan’s participation in their democracy” and asking the government to respect due process of law, freedom of press and free speech in Pakistan.
While Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif dismissed the resolution as having “no value” and described it as political posturing in a US election year, experts pointed out that 85 percent of House members had voted on it, with 98 percent endorsing it.
Asked about the resolution, which also prodded President Joe Biden’s administration to collaborate with Pakistan in upholding democracy, human rights and rule of law, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said Washington was already committed to these principles.
“I’m not going to comment on that resolution specifically, but speaking generally, our most senior officials – including Secretary [Antony] Blinken and Ambassador [Donald] Blome – have consistently both privately and publicly urged Pakistan to respect the rights of its people and live with its constitutional and international obligations,” he said.
“We continuously urge the Government of Pakistan to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedoms of expression, association, peaceful assembly, and religion, as well as the rights of marginalized populations such as women and religious minorities,” he added.
Pakistan’s foreign office released a statement after the US House had voted, saying the resolution “stems from an incomplete understanding of the political situation and electoral process in Pakistan.”
However, the country’s defense minister was more curt in his response, saying the US had “no right to interfere in our internal affairs or give any sort of verdict on the matter.”
Washington’s support will be crucial for Islamabad in coming weeks as it looks to secure a fresh bailout from the International Monetary Fund to stave off an economic crisis.
The resolution will not have much impact on Washington’s policy toward Pakistan, Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center’s South Asia Institute, said in a post on social media platform X.
But, he added, it raised questions about whether Pakistan legislation could follow, noting bipartisan support for the resolution.
- With inputs from Reuters
US says efforts already underway to strengthen Pakistan’s democracy after Congress seeks election probe
https://arab.news/5t8kb
US says efforts already underway to strengthen Pakistan’s democracy after Congress seeks election probe
- US House resolution prodded Biden administration to collaborate with Pakistan in upholding democracy, human rights
- Pakistan’s defense minister Khawaja Asif says the United States has ‘no right to interfere in our internal affairs’
Pakistan PM to attend World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Switzerland next month
- The WEF meeting, scheduled to be held in Davos on Jan. 19-23, will focus on global challenges, public-private dialogue and cooperation
- Government, business, civil society and academia leaders will engage in forward-looking discussions to address these issues, set priorities
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to Switzerland next month to attend the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Pakistani state media reported on Monday.
The WEF annual meeting, themed as ‘A Spirit of Dialogue,’ will be held from Jan. 19 to Jan. 23 in Davos, where world leaders from government, business, civil society and academia will engage in forward-looking discussions to address global issues and set priorities.
Prime Minister Sharif is expected to interact with global leaders and investors on economic challenges, regional and international issues and various opportunities for cooperation.
On Monday, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar presided over a meeting in Islamabad to oversee preparations for Sharif’s upcoming visit to Switzerland to attend the WEF meeting, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“Dar instructed to maximize the engagements with the incoming Heads of States, Governments and senior leadership of economic, business and financial institutions,” the report read.
The WEF meeting program will be structured around key global challenges where public-private dialogue and cooperation, involving all stakeholders, is necessary for progress, according to the WEF website.
In addressing these challenges, growth, resilience and innovation will serve as cross-cutting imperatives, guiding how leaders engage with today’s complexity and pursue tomorrow’s opportunities.
Pakistani foreign ministry officials briefed the deputy PM about preparations for the WEF meeting, according to Radio Pakistan. The participants of Monday’s meeting in Islamabad discussed in detail the bilateral component and media engagements during the visit.
“He [Dar] further stressed that opportunities be explored to foster collaboration with private sector business entities,” the state broadcaster said.
