‘US ready to work with any govt elected by Pakistani people’

WASHINGTON: The United States has reiterated its stance of working with a government elected by Pakistanis as the tenure of the incumbent rulers nears end — with the National Assembly expected to be dissolved ahead of its constitutional term next month.

“We do not have any position on any political candidate or party,” Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Elizabeth Horst said during a conference on the future of Pakistan-US Relations in Houston.

Horst, who heads the Pakistan bureau at the US State Department, also said: “The US supports democratic principles, freedom of speech, and the rule of law.”

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have decided that the National Assembly will be dissolved prematurely.

However, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb denied that the date of dissolution is finalised, saying it would be decided in consultation with the PDM and other allied parties, and an announcement would be made.