 "US values long-standing cooperation with Pakistan: State Dept official")
The United States values its long-standing relationship with Pakistan, a State Department official said on Wednesday but refrained from making any comment on the ongoing domestic politics of the South Asian country.
"We value our long-standing cooperation with Pakistan. We've always viewed a prosperous and democratic Pakistan as critical to our interests. That very much remains unchanged. Whether it has come to an end or not, we don't let propaganda, misinformation, disinformation get in the way of any bilateral relationship," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference.
"That, of course, includes our valued bilateral relationship with Pakistan. When it comes to various political players inside of Pakistan, we don't have a position on one political candidate or party versus another. We support, as we do around the world, the peaceful upholding of democratic, constitutional, and legal principles," Price said.
He, however, refrained from making any comment on the recent U-turn by former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on his ouster from power. "I'm just not going to comment on the evolution of the blame game, as you say. We have spoken clearly about this ever since these erroneous allegations surfaced. We've consistently said there is no truth to these allegations," he said.
A Pakistani defence delegation is in the town for talks with the American leadership. "I'm in a position to share publicly beyond the fact that Pakistan is a valued partner of the United States. It's valued across many realms," Price said.
"Of course, we have a security relationship that is important to us knowing that many of the threats Pakistan faces could well in turn be threats to us. And so we value the work we do together, but I'm just not in a position to offer anything beyond that," said the State Department Spokesperson.