WASHINGTON: A democratic Pakistan is critical to the United States’ interests, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday, hours after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was elected.
Ex-prime minister Imran Khan has repeatedly blamed the US for backing the no-confidence motion that resulted in his ouster early Sunday and has refused to accept the newly elected premier, claiming “there can be no greater insult to this country” — but the Joe Biden administration has denied any involvement.
Psaki stated during a White House press briefing: “We support the peaceful upholding of constitutional democratic principles; we do not support any particular political party.”
According to the White House press secretary, the US “certainly” supports the rule of law and equal justice under the law.
Will Biden make contact with Shehbaz?
Psaki added that the US values its long-standing relationship with Pakistan and has always viewed a prosperous and democratic Pakistan as critical to US interests — a position that will remain unchanged regardless of who leads the country.
In response to a question about whether Biden would call Shehbaz, Psaki stated, “In terms of future calls, I have nothing to predict at this point and time, but obviously, we maintain close contact with them on a variety of levels.”
Imran Khan and Biden have not spoken on the phone since Biden assumed the presidency of the United States in 2021.
India and Turkey’s message
Meanwhile, both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated Shehbaz on his appointment as Pakistan’s 23rd premier.
PM Modi congratulated Shehbaz on Twitter, writing, “Congratulations to H. E. Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on his election as Pakistan’s Prime Minister.”
“India seeks peace and stability in a terror-free region so that we can focus on our development challenges and ensure our people’s well-being and prosperity,” he stated.
In a telephone conversation with Shehbaz, Turkish President Erdogan expressed his “extreme happiness” at the newly-elected prime minister’s election.
“I am confident that under your leadership, Pakistan-brotherly Turkey’s ties will strengthen,” Erdogan told Shehbaz hours after he was elected by the lower house of Parliament.
Shehbaz responded that he hoped to bring the two countries closer during his tenure as Prime Minister and expressed gratitude to Erdogan for his congratulatory telephone call.
