ISLAMABAD: The new government wishes to constructively and positively engage with the US to promote shared goals of peace, security, and development in the region, the Prime Minister’s Office said Tuesday.<\/p>\n
“We welcome US reaffirmation of long-standing ties with Pakistan,” the PM’s Office said in response to comments made by the White House on the assumption of office by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.<\/p>\n
The statement added that Pakistan looks forward to deepening its “important relationship” with the United States based on the principles of equality, mutual interest, and mutual benefit.<\/p>\n
PM Shehbaz was\u00a0sworn in as the prime minister\u00a0on April 11, following the successful\u00a0ouster\u00a0of PTI Chairman Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion \u2014 making him the first premier to be ousted through the democratic process.<\/p>\n
The response follows White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s statement, wherein, she said a democratic Pakistan is critical to the interests of the United States.<\/p>\n
In a press briefing at the White House, Psaki said: “We support the peaceful upholding of constitutional democratic principles, we don’t support one political party over another.”<\/p>\n
The White House press secretary said the United States “certainly” supports the principles of rule of law and equal justice under the law.<\/p>\n
Psaki added that the US values its long-standing cooperation with Pakistan and has always viewed a prosperous and democratic Pakistan as critical to US interests \u2014 that remains unchanged regardless of who the leadership is.<\/p>\n
In response to a question about whether Biden would call Shehbaz, Psaki said: “In terms of future calls, I don’t have anything to predict at this point and time, obviously, we stay in close touch with them at a range of levels.”<\/p>\n
Since Biden assumed the US president’s office in 2021, Imran Khan and Biden did not hold a telephonic conversation.<\/p>\n