The sources said Pakistan engaged with the US officials quietly to explain the reason behind the decision.
However, the actual reason that Pakistan did not join the summit was China. Pakistan’s decision was complicated as the US did not invite China and Turkey while Taiwan attended the summit, reported The Express Tribune.
On Thursday Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari hosted Iftar for the diplomatic corps and the US ambassador was seated next to him. Sources said the message was clear that Pakistan wants to maintain its relations with the US.
Official sources told The Express Tribune on Saturday that Pakistan “attaches importance to its relations with the US and, hence, it doesn’t want any negative fallout of its move to stay out of President Biden’s democracy summit”.
Pakistan was invited to the summit that concluded on Friday. However, Islamabad opted out of the event. The foreign office tried to deflect attention from the actual reason for not attending the summit.
“We are thankful to the United States and the co-host countries for inviting Pakistan to attend the Second Summit for Democracy being held on 29-30 March,” read a statement.
“We value our friendship with the United States. Under this Biden Administration, this relationship has widened and expanded substantially. We remain committed to further solidifying this relationship for peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.”
The statement said Pakistan has not been part of the Summit process that commenced in 2021 and required countries to make certain national commitments.
“The Summit process is now at an advanced stage and therefore, Pakistan would engage bilaterally with the United States 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,” it said.
Meanwhile, US State Department’s Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel expressed regret over Pakistan’s decision not to participate in the democracy summit, reported The Express Tribune.
Notably, Islamabad skipped the first US Democracy Summit in December 2021 because of China’s exclusion from the event. Pakistan also stayed away from the summit since President Biden did not speak to then-Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Moreover, Imran was only asked to send a recorded video statement for the summit, something that compelled the government to stay away.
Beijing had welcomed Islamabad’s move, reinforcing the perception that Pakistan had decided at the behest of China, reported The Express Tribune.
Since the change of government in April last year, there has been a visible push by both Pakistan and the US to reset their ties. Similarly, Pakistan is desperately looking for the IMF bailout and the US role could be very crucial in that.
However, at the same time, Pakistan cannot antagonise China, whose support is critical for the country in case there is no IMF deal.
Pakistan is facing a major economic crisis triggered by a series of corrupt and failed governments, military coups, rising international debts, no major exports, and a major class divide, Asian Lite reported.
The country has reportedly doubled its debt roughly every five years over the last 25-year period. Prices are going up and the government has failed to provide basic amenities like gas and power, the report said. (ANI)
