US distances itself from Khalilzad’s statements on Pakistan

State Dept spox says former diplomat's opinions do not represent Biden administration

WASHINGTON DC:

The former United States envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, “does not represent US policy”, a State Department spokesperson has said, asserting that the Afghan-born diplomat speaks in his “personal capacity”.

The spokesperson, Vedant Patel, was responding to a question from a Pakistani TV channel reporter about the perception that his recent tweets about the political situation in Pakistan reflect the views of the US government.

“Mr Khalilzad is a private citizen, and any social media activity or comments or tweets that you might reference, those are done in his private capacity, does not represent US foreign policy, and he does not speak for this administration,” Patel told reporters at his daily news briefing, as he set the record straight.

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Asked about the political crisis in Pakistan in which death threats were being held, the spokesperson urged all sides to respect the rule of law and allow the people to democratically determine their country’s leadership in accordance with the constitution and laws.

“So we have previously stated that any implication of violence, harassment, or intimidation has no place in politics, and as we do with our partners all around the world, we encourage all sides in Pakistan to respect the rule of law and allow the people of Pakistan to democratically determine their own country’s leadership pursuant to their own constitution and laws,” he added.