F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: A senior State Department official denied any American role in bringing Pakistani leaders to power on Monday, saying the administration in Washington had always pursued a policy of engagement toward the South Asian country and worked with all governments over a wide spectrum of issues.
The statement comes only a few weeks ahead of the general elections in Pakistan, which are scheduled to be held by the election commission on Feb. 8.
The deep-rooted suspicion among Pakistanis toward the United States regarding political manipulation has intensified following last year’s ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan, who publicly accused the Biden administration of orchestrating his downfall. American officials have repeatedly denied the allegation but found it difficult to dispel the public perception in Pakistan.
The recent decision of Khan’s political rival, Nawaz Sharif, to end his four-year self-exile in London and return to Pakistan to lead his party’s election campaign, despite a conviction on graft charges from an accountability court, has further fueled suspicions among some about potential political manipulation before the national polls.
“The United States does not play any role in choosing the leaders of Pakistan,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said during his media briefing in Washington. “We engage with the leadership shown by – or the leadership decided by the Pakistani people, and we will continue to engage with the Government of Pakistan on all [the important] issues.”
Miller was asked why the United States had not condemned Sharif’s return to the country to carry out political activities despite being convicted by a local accountability court.
The State Department official also responded to a question about mounting tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent weeks, encouraging both countries to resolve their issues diplomatically.
“It’s something that we have been engaged on,” he added. “We’ve detailed the substance of some of those specific engagements over the past few weeks, and we will continue to do so.”
Pakistani officials have accused the government in Kabul of not doing enough to end cross-border militancy after a string of deadly attacks which they blamed on the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) network.
The TTP leadership is said to be based in Afghanistan.
Pakistan has also started deporting unregistered foreigners, mostly Afghans, since November while citing security reasons.
courtesy : arab news
