Vedant Patel refused to comment on former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest last week saying that laws of the lands should be respected while making any arrest.

In the briefing, he was specifically asked about the ongoing situation in Pakistan.

“First and foremost, 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 and government buildings in harm’s way,” Patel responded.

While commenting on Khan’s arrest he said: “I spoke a little bit to this last week. The U.S. does not have a position on one political party or one candidate or other.”

He said that strong, stable and prosperous Pakistan is crucial to the US-Pakistan relations.