Pakistan refuses to attend US Summit for Democracy

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed gratitude to the United States for inviting Pakistan to the two-day Summit for Democracy.

“We are thankful to the United States for inviting Pakistan for participation in the Summit for Democracy, being held virtually on 9-10 December 2021,” the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Spokesperson said that Pakistan is a large functional democracy with an independent judiciary, a vibrant civil society, and a free media.

“We remain deeply committed to further deepening democracy, fighting corruption, and protecting and promoting human rights of all citizens,” he said.

The Spokesperson said that in recent years, Pakistan has instituted wide-ranging reforms aimed at advancing these goals, adding that these reforms have yielded positive results.

“We value our partnership with the US which we wish to expand both bilaterally as well as in terms of regional and international cooperation,” he said.

“We remain in contact with the US on a range of issues and believe that we can engage on this subject at an opportune time in the future.”

Asim Iftikhar said that Pakistan will, meanwhile, continue to support all efforts aimed towards strengthening dialogue, constructive engagement, and international cooperation for the advancement of our shared goals.

The Summit for Democracy will bring together leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector to set forth an affirmative agenda for democratic renewal and to tackle the greatest threats faced by democracies today through collective action.