ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday decided against participating in the Second Summit for Democracy being held by the US today (March 29-30). Pakistan is among over 100 countries invited by US President Joe Biden to the summit. In 2021 also, Islamabad had politely refused to attend the moot without specifying any reasons. Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said: “We are thankful to the United States and the co-host countries for inviting Pakistan to attend the Second Summit for Democracy. Pakistan had not been part of the summit process that commenced in 2021 and required countries to make certain national commitments. Pakistan would engage bilaterally with the US and co-hosts of the summit to promote and strengthen democratic principles and values and work towards advancing human rights and the fight against corruption.” The spokesperson said as a vibrant democracy, the people of Pakistan were deeply committed to democratic values and generations of Pakistanis, time after time, have upheld their faith in democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms. “This month, the nation is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Constitution that is the fountain of democratic polity in Pakistan,” she maintained. Baloch added: “We value our friendship with the United States. Under the Biden administration, this relationship has widened and expanded substantially.” The summit was being considered an opportunity for the cash-strapped Pakistan to win over the support of the US to revive the much-needed loan programme of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Currently, the federal government is struggling to secure guarantees from friendly states for external financing, a key demand by the global lender for releasing the bailout package. Earlier, Washington said the former United States envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, does not represent US policy and his comments about internal affairs of Pakistan were ‘individual’. US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said Khalilzad was a private citizen, and any social media activity or comments or tweets done in his private capacity, do not represent US foreign policy, and he does not speak for this administration.Asked about the political crisis in Pakistan, the spokesperson urged all sides to respect the rule of law and allow the people to democratically determine their country’s leadership in accordance with the Constitution and laws.
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