Pakistan opts out of democracy summit in Washington, says will engage bilaterally with US

Pakistan on Tuesday decided against participating in the democracy summit taking place in Washington, saying the “process is now at an advanced stage and therefore, Pakistan would engage bilaterally with the United States” to promote and strengthen democratic principles and values and work towards advancing human rights and the fight against corruption.

The Summit for Democracy will take place on March 28-30, co-hosted by the United States, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Zambia

The first iteration of the summit was held in 2021 and spearheaded by US President Joe Biden, who has made the contest between democracies and autocracies, such as China and Russia, a central theme of his administration.

The Foreign Office in its statement thanked the United States and the co-host countries for inviting Pakistan to attend the summit.

“Pakistan has not been part of the Summit process that commenced in 2021 and required countries to make certain national commitments,” the statement said, explaining the rationale for not taking a part in the summit.

“As a vibrant democracy, the people of Pakistan are deeply committed to democratic values, and generations of Pakistanis time after time have upheld their faith in democracy, human rights, and fundamental freedoms,” the statement stressed.

It went on to say that this month, Pakistan is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Constitution which is the fountain of a democratic polity in Pakistan.

The statement reiterated that Pakistan values its friendship with the United States.

“Under the 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.