WASHINGTON: The establishment of civilian rule and the democratic transfer of power in Pakistan is one of the country’s great achievements and Washington would like to see this process succeed, says the head of the South Asian affairs at the US State Department.
In a roundtable with journalists in Washington, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Alice Wells also said that the US was continuing its conversation with Pakistan to persuade it to take “sustained and decisive” steps against the Taliban and to encourage them to join the Afghan peace process.
“The establishment of civilian rule in Pakistan and the democratic transfer of power is one of Pakistan’s great achievements. And so, like others, we want to see it succeed,” she said.
“We want civilian institutions to strengthen, and it’s in that vein that when we engage with Pakistani leaders we express concern when there is evidence or indications that civil society or media are not able to participate fully or without pressure, because that will ultimately detract from what should be a success story in Pakistan.”
US says talks continue with Pakistan to persuade it to take ‘sustained and decisive’ steps against Taliban
Wells also urged the Pakistani government to allow individuals to assemble and express their views peacefully and to allow journalists to “report fully on developments in the country”.
Underlining Washington’s desire to stay engaged with Islamabad, she said: “The conversation continues with the Pakistani leadership — civilian and military leadership — on trying to encourage the both, sustained and decisive steps against the Taliban leadership, to arrest, to expel them, or bring them to the negotiating table.”
Democratic transfer of power in Pakistan must continue: Wells
