Pakistan-US relations: ‘Presidential poll won’t affect ties’

US consul general speaks at GCU

LAHORE:

The United States-Pakistan relationship will remain intact regardless of the outcome of the US presidential election later in the year, US Consul General in Lahore Zachary Harkenrider said on Saturday.

He was speaking on the US electoral system at the Government College University (GCU) Lahore.

Harkenrider said he believed that the democratic political process was strengthening in Pakistan.

On US-Pakistan relations, he said there had been moments of discord between the two countries but these were brief interludes in an otherwise cordial and mutually beneficial relationship. He said that regardless of their ideological affiliations or democratic credentials, the governments in Pakistan had valued their relationship with the US. “The situation in the US has been similar,” he said.

On the US relations with Muslims, Harkenrider said the American society was open to and tolerant of religious diversity. He said the US was home of thousands of Muslims. The US government considered them as important as any other citizen of the country, he added.

Later, Harkenrider briefed the students about the history of US presidential elections and party systems since the country’s independence in 1789. He explained the nomination process followed by the Democrats and the Republicans to shortlist candidates for the presidential race and also discussed the electoral college for the presidential election. He said there were slight differences in the nomination process in different states in the country.

The consul general also highlighted reasons for the absence of a third major political party in the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 8^th, 2016.