The United States, noting the appointment of Senator Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar as Pakistan’s interim prime minister, has reaffirmed its support in areas of mutual interest, including the conduct of free and fair elections, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Tuesday.
Responding to a question from a private Pakistani television channel correspondent at his daily press briefing, the spokesperson said that the US looks forward to working with the interim prime minister and his team.
“We, of course, will continue to partner with Pakistan on areas of mutual interest, including our interest in Pakistan’s economic stability, prosperity, and security, and the conduct of free and fair elections and the respect for democracy and the rule of law.”
Read Upcoming elections and the need to focus on economy
During the press conference, a question was also raised concerning the measures being taken by the US to effectively address concerns surrounding the use of military equipment left in Afghanistan by terrorist groups and to strengthen Pakistan’s capabilities in countering these terrorist groups.
Notably, the journalist pointed out, "Pakistani Ambassador in Washington DC Masood Khan had claimed that this military equipment is now being used against Pakistan by the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Daesh/ISIS".
In response to this, Patel said that the US remains in "regular communication with the Pakistani leadership to discuss Afghanistan in detail, including through our counterterrorism dialogue and other bilateral consultations."
"We have a shared interest with Pakistan, quite candidly, in combating threats to regional stability and remain ready to work with Pakistan to combat militant and terrorist groups," the spokesperson said.
"We also support the government’s own efforts to combat terrorism and ensure the safety and security of its citizens in a manner that promotes the rule of law," he added before saying he would refrain from providing further details on the matter and referred the issue to the US Department of Defense instead.
Most powerful interim government
Kakar was sworn in on Monday as the prime minister to head a caretaker government that will oversee parliamentary elections during the country’s most challenging period in the economic field.
The country is set to witness its most empowered interim setup ever with Kakar taking the reins as the eighth interim premier as the country prepares to navigate through a transitional period amid economic and political crises.
Kakar’s appointment comes under highly favourable circumstances, granting him unprecedented authority in the position.
Read More Kakar vows to complete IMF programme
Traditionally, the primary responsibility of the caretaker government has been to manage the day-to-day affairs of the country until the newly elected government assumes power. However, the interim government was empowered to take the role of economic stewardship after a joint parliamentary session on July 26 this year amended Section 230 of the Election Act, 2017.
The amendment now allows the caretaker government to exercise unusual powers pertaining to ongoing projects, and programmes, and even make crucial policy decisions, in addition to handling the regular affairs of the state.
As the country heads towards an interim government, it may not be a usual transitional government due to unprecedented political and economic challenges.
Above all, the interim government will also have to ensure compliance with the ongoing IMF programme. It is imperative, however, to take care of the commitments and assurances that the government has given to the IMF during the last review.
With input from News Desk
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