US asks Pakistan to respect people’s rights

WASHINGTON: The US Department of State on Monday urged Pakistan to respect the rights of its people, human rights and fundamental freedoms.

During the daily press briefing, the department’s principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said when it comes to Pakistan, “our most senior officials whether its Secretary Blinken, Assistant Secretary Lu, Ambassador Blome, we have consistently and privately and publicly urged Pakistan to respect the rights of its people in line to its constitution and international commitments.” He added that the US urges the government of Pakistan to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms including the freedom of expression, freedom of association, peaceful assembly and freedom of religion as well.

Responding to a question about the US House resolution on Pakistan’s general elections and if the State Department still asks Islamabad to investigate any and all alleged irregularities, the spokesperson said, “This is something that we have continued to raise with our partners in Pakistan. Yes, that continues to be an area of focus of ours.” The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed Resolution 901 titled “Expressing support for democracy and human rights in Pakistan” last week urging the Biden administration to work with Pakistan to uphold democratic institutions and human rights. The resolution expressed strong support for democracy in Pakistan, including free and fair elections.