The US said on Tuesday that it is looking forward to working with the interim administration led by Anwaar-ul-Haq, which will take the country through to an election scheduled in a few months.
During a press briefing, United States Department spokesperson Vedant Patel was asked about Washington’s perspective on the new prime minister of Pakistan and the caretaker government’s responsibility to hold elections in the next 90 days.
“So we’re aware that the PNA [Pakistan National Alliance] and government have been dissolved and note the announcement of Senator Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, and he has been named the caretaker prime minister, and we look forward to working with the interim prime minister and his team as they prepare to hold elections,” Patel replied.
“We, of course, will continue to partner with Pakistan on areas of mutual interest, including our interest on Pakistan’s economic stability, prosperity, and security, and the conduct of free and fair elections and the respect for democracy and the rule of law.”
His statement comes after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government ended its tenure last week.
Meanwhile, replying to a question regarding Afghanistan, the US spokesperson said that Washington is in regular communication with Pakistan to discuss Afghanistan in detail, “including through our counterterrorism dialogue and other bilateral consultations”.