Pakistan will miss the US democracy summit.
The United States has invited Taiwan but not China or Turkey, which makes the decision more difficult.
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan decided on Tuesday to forego the second “Summit for Democracy” being held by US President Joe Biden this week after lengthy internal discussions.
Pakistan was also invited to the three-day conference that President Biden organized in 2021 but declined because of worries about China. The US invited more than 100 nations this year, including Taiwan, but once again left out China.
The Foreign Office sent a statement explaining reasons for not attending the conference only hours before it was scheduled to begin.
In a statement, it was stated, “We are grateful to the United States and the co-host nations for asking Pakistan to participate in the Second Summit for Democracy being held on March 29-30.”
“The people of Pakistan are profoundly dedicated to democratic ideals and have always upheld their belief in democracy, human rights, and fundamental freedoms. Pakistan is a dynamic democracy. The statement said, “This month, Pakistan is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Constitution, which is the foundation of the country’s democratic democracy.
“We treasure our ties with America. This connection has significantly broadened and developed under the Biden Administration. In order to promote regional peace, stability, and development, we are still committed to further reinforcing this connection.
According to the statement, Pakistan was not a part of the summit process, which started in 2021 and called on nations to make specific national pledges.
According to the statement, “The Summit process is currently at an advanced level and Pakistan will engage bilaterally with the United States and co-hosts of the Summit to promote and enhance democratic principles and values and cooperate towards furthering human rights and the fight against corruption.”
The US’s choice to exclude China and Turkey from the meeting while Taiwan would be there complicated Pakistan’s decision.
Pakistan has strong connections with both China and Turkey, and any decisions will take into account the interests of both nations, especially Beijing’s worries.
Pakistan also stayed away from the summit because President Biden did not speak to then-prime minister Imran Khan; additionally, Imran was only asked to send a recorded video statement for the summit; these factors forced the government of Pakistan to skip the first US democracy summit in December 2021.
Beijing had applauded Islamabad’s action, supporting the notion that Pakistan had made the choice at China’s urging.
Pakistan is desperately seeking the IMF bailout, and the American participation might be extremely significant in that; similarly, there has been an evident drive by both Pakistan and the US to reset their relations since the change of administration in April last year.
Pakistan must avoid offending China, though, as their assistance will be crucial if there is no IMF agreement.
Honestly, we need to maintain our neutrality. We need to keep out of this enormous power struggle, a source said when asked why Pakistan was missing the summit a second time.
