No favourite political party, leader, says US

State dept emphasizes it prefers a ‘stable, democratic Pakistan’

WASHINGTON:

A US State Department spokesperson on Thursday said “A prosperous and strong, democratic Pakistan is critical to US interests,” while reiterating that it did not have a position on any candidate or any political party.

“We continue to monitor the situation in Pakistan closely,” Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at his daily press briefing in response to a series of questions about the latest developments in the South Asian country.

“Our interest is a safe, secure and prosperous Pakistan. That is in the interest of the US-Pakistan relations, and we call for the respect of democratic principles and the rule of law around the world,” he said.

The United States, he said, does not have a favourite candidate or a favourite political party; not just in Pakistan but anywhere around the world.

“On some of these areas such as press freedom, human rights and things of that nature, we have consistently raised these issues with our counterparts – not just in Pakistan – but also in other countries where we have a perspective to offer on that,” Patel said in response to a question.

The spokesperson said the US was looking to continue strengthening economic ties between the two countries with collaboration in areas of security, renewable energy, climate crisis and increasing agricultural trade.

“That’s what we mean by a strong, prosperous, and democratic Pakistan that is critical to US interests,” the spokesperson added.