In The Midst Of Unrest In Pakistan, US Favours Nonviolent Expression

In the midst of internal unrest in Pakistan, the United States reiterated its support for peaceful expression of one’s opinions on Monday and reaffirmed the importance of a strong, stable, and prosperous Pakistan for its relations with that nation.

“Our belief is that individuals should have the freedom to express themselves, but do so without participating in any violence, violence that would put government employees in government buildings in harm’s way.

At his daily news conference, deputy spokesperson for the state department Vedant Patel said, “And specifically on the arrest, I spoke a little bit to this last week.” Patel was referring to the Pakistani Rangers’ arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan last week.

“The US does not have a position on one political party or one candidate or other. Our view is a strong, stable, and prosperous Pakistan is crucial to US-Pakistan relations and that for any arrest that such an individual is affronted basic human rights in accordance to their laws,” he said, responding to a question on the ongoing developments in Pakistan.

Asked about the freedom of the press in Pakistan, Patel said he is not going to be prescriptive about the current situation.

“I do not have an assessment to offer from here. But broadly, we are very clear about the need for access to media and the access for information and the free flow of information between the government and journalists,” he said.

Last Tuesday’s arrest of Khan from the grounds of the Islamabad High Court set off unrest in Pakistan that lasted until Friday and resulted in several fatalities as well as the destruction of numerous military and government facilities by the protesters.

The protesters torched the home of the corps commander in Lahore and stormed the army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi for the first time in Pakistan’s history.

Police put the death toll in violent clashes to 10 while Khan’s party claims 40 of its workers lost their lives in the firing by security personnel.

On Monday, Khan appeared before the Lahore High Court, which fixed his bail hearing on Tuesday in the terrorism cases registered against him following his arrest in the

Al-Qadir Trust corruption case that sparked violent protests by his supporters.

Also read: Pak Army Promises To Bring “Spoilers” Responsible For Recent Attacks On Military Sites