ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has decided not to participate in the democracy summitscheduled to take place this week in Washington.
Responding to media queries regarding invitation to attend the SecondSummit for Democracy, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Balochremarked: “We are thankful to the United States and the co-host countriesfor inviting Pakistan to attend the Second Summit for Democracy being heldon 29-30 March 2023”.
As a vibrant democracy, the people of Pakistan are deeply committed todemocratic values and generations of Pakistanis time after time have upheldtheir faith in democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, she said,adding that This month, the nation is celebrating the 50th anniversary ofthe 1973 Constitution that is the fountain of democratic polity in Pakistan.
“We value our friendship with the United States. Under the BidenAdministration, this relationship has widened and expanded substantially.We remain committed to further solidifying this relationship for peace,stability, and prosperity in the region,” reads the statement.
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Pakistan has not been part of the Summit process that commenced in 2021 andrequired countries to make certain national commitments.
The Summit process is now at an advanced stage and therefore, Pakistanwould engage bilaterally with the United States and co-hosts of the Summitto promote and strengthen democratic principles and values and work towardsadvancing human rights and the fight against corruption, she said.
