ISLAMABAD: The United States (US) administration does not have a position on any candidate or political party versus another, but it is interested in a “safe and secure, prosperous Pakistan,” a State Department spokesman said on Thursday, amid an ongoing political unrest in the South Asian country.
The remarks by the State Department’s principal deputy spokesman Vedant Patel came at a weekly press briefing on Thursday when a journalist inquired him about the crisis in the South Asian country, which stems from this week’s arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan.
Pakistani paramilitary troops took Khan into custody on Tuesday from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Local media widely reported that the troops broke open several doors and scuffled with Khan’s supporters and lawyers before arresting and whisking him away from the court.
The arrest triggered violent protests across Pakistan by impassioned supporters of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, who stormed sensitive military buildings and set public property on fire in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi cities. At least six protesters were killed in clashes with law enforcement.
On Thursday, the country’s top court declared the manner in which Khan was arrested “illegal” and ordered his release, but told the ex-premier to appear before the IHC so it could reconsider its initial decision to uphold the arrest. The Islamabad court was hearing Khan’s petition against the arrest Friday afternoon.
“We continue to monitor the situation in Pakistan closely, and as the US has said before, we don’t have a position on one candidate or one political party versus another. What our interest is is a safe and secure, prosperous Pakistan,” Patel said on Thursday.
“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.”
The State Department spokesman reiterated the US does not have a favored candidate or a favored political party, not just in Pakistan but as it relates to any government system around the world.
“But on some of these areas, such as press freedom, human rights, things of that nature, we have consistently raised these issues with our counterparts not just in Pakistan, but in other countries where we have a perspective to offer on that,” he said.
The US wanted to strengthen economic ties with Pakistan by expanding private-sector trade and investment and continuing an important security collaboration, Patel said.
“That’s what we mean by a strong, prosperous, and democratic Pakistan that is critical to US interests,” he said.