State Dept deflects question about Blome-Imran meeting

Spokesperson Miller says US has no position on any political party in Pakistan

The US State Department declined on Wednesday to offer any direct comments on the speculations that American Ambassador in Pakistan Donald Blome met with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in Adiala Jail, stressing that the matter should be referred to the embassy in Islamabad.

At a daily press briefing in Washington, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told a journalist that the US had no particular stance on any political party or any politician in Pakistan or any other country in the world.

The country is set to go into elections in February next year. As political parties gear up for the electioneering, reports emerged in the media that Ambassador Blome had met with important political leaders in Punjab recently.

Those whom Blome met included former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif and Isthakam Pakistan Party (IPP) founder Jahangir Khan Tareen in Lahore.

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Simultaneously, speculations took round on the social media that Blome had also met with Imran. However, the US did not confirm any meeting, while Imran’s sister Aleema Khan, after a meeting with her brother in jail, denied any such meeting.

At the press briefing, Miller was asked whether he would confirm or deny that Ambassador Blome held a meeting with Imran in Adiala prison. “So I would – I would refer you to the embassy to – to comment on any meetings the ambassador has had,” Miller replied.

“But as we have said a number of times, we do not take position – a position on candidates for political office in Pakistan or any other country,” he added. In response to another question, the spokesperson also declined to offer comments on a letter from some Congressmen for suspending US aid to Pakistan.

“I wouldn’t want to preview how we would respond to the letter here. We obviously respond directly to those members of Congress, Miller said, referring to a letter from a group of US lawmakers and a recent announcement of $4 million aid for Pakistani security forces in Balochistan by Ambassador Blome.

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“With respect to the announcement that the ambassador made, we’ll be pursuing four new initiatives to support the Balochistan police in their efforts to protect and serve their local communities. We’re going to provide $4 million in assistance to expand the anti-terrorist force training facility,” he said.

Giving a breakup, Miller said that $2 million would be spent for repairing or replacing 10 police stations damaged in recent floods and another $2 million to construct 10 new police stations that incorporate the same model to improve service to women, girls, and all Pakistanis.

Besides, he added, an additional $250,000 would be given for equipment to protect law-enforcement officers in the course of conducting their work. “The partnership improves justice institutions and provides law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to protect Pakistan citizens.”

The spokesperson stressed that these initiatives would build on more than 40 years of bilateral partnership between the US mission in Pakistan and the Pakistani government on civilian security and rule of law.

When his attention was drawn towards Pakistan’s crackdown on Illegal Afghans and Islamabad’s announcement that it would not deport 25,000 Afghan refugees, who were waiting for American visas, Miller said that Washington’s “key concern is the safety of the vulnerable” and at-risk individuals.

“We are in close and constant communication with the government of Pakistan on the safety of individuals in the US pipeline. It is our desire to work in good faith with the government of Pakistan to address any concerns that it may have,” he said.

“We believe it is in both our countries’ interest to ensure the safe and efficient resettlement of refugees and asylum seekers. And we join all of our partners in urging all countries, including Pakistan, to uphold their respective obligations in the treatment of refugees…” he said.