US reiterates support to free, fair elections in Pakistan

• Spox says US to engage with leaders elected by people of Pakistan.
• Washington seeks to expand security cooperation with Islamabad.
• US does not maintain a position about any political party, says Miller.

WASHINGTON: The United States has reiterated its support for free and fair elections in Pakistan, saying Washington does not take a position on any political party in the country.

Responding to a question during a daily press briefing on Monday, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said the US will continue to engage with the leaders elected by the people of Pakistan.

The spokesperson said the US was also engaged with Pakistan on a bilateral basis to discuss their support for free and fair elections that are slated to take place on February 8 next year 

In August this year, US envoy in Islamabad Donald Blome met Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja and reaffirmed the US support for "free and fair elections". 

Responding to a question related to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir's ongoing visit to the US, Miller said the army chief met a number of senior officials at the State Department and Pentagon.

“Pakistan is a major non-NATO ally of the United States and a NATO partner. We look forward to partnering with them on regional security and defence cooperation,” he added.

Last week, Pakistan and the US agreed to enhance cooperation on matters related to counter-terrorism and defence collaboration during Gen Munir’s maiden visit to Washington, according to a statement issued by the military's media wing.

The statement was issued following the army chief's meeting with US officials including Secretary of State Antony J Blinken, Secretary of Defence General (retd) Llyod J Austin, Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, Deputy National Security Adviser Jonathan Finer and Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q Brown, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on December 15.

"Both sides agreed to continue engagement for exploring potential avenues of bilateral collaboration in pursuit of shared interests," the statement added.

During the meetings with defence officials, counter-terrorism cooperation and defence collaboration were identified as core areas of cooperation.

Both sides, the ISPR said, reiterated the intent to increase interaction and explore ways to expand the scope of mutually beneficial engagements.

The army chief, during the meeting, underscored the importance of understanding each other’s perspectives on regional security issues and developments affecting strategic stability in South Asia.

In this context, COAS Munir also highlighted the importance of resolving the Kashmir issue in line with international law and relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

General Asim's visit came at a time when Pakistan is facing immense security challenges from both internal and external terror outfits with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan suffering the most at the hands of terrorists.