A State Department spokesperson said on Monday that the election of Maryam Nawaz as the first female chief minister in Pakistan’s history as a ‘milestone’ for democracy in the country.
Answering a question during a scheduled press briefing on Monday, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said the US looked forward to working with her to integrate women more ‘fully’ into Pakistan’s political life.
“So her selection as chief minister is a milestone in Pakistani politics,” Miller said.
“We look forward to cooperating with Pakistan more broadly on integrating women more fully into the country’s political life, in the economy, including through the U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council, civil society, and other decision making spaces.”
Miller added that an inclusive Pakistan would be a strong one.
However, he refused to a comment on a follow-up question about allegations against Maryam about presenting a fake document in calibri font.
“ I am not going to get into those underlying details. It’s a matter for Pakistan, but we do believe her selection as chief minister is a milestone for Pakistan,“ he said.
Miller was also asked to reach on Shehbaz Sharif’s election as prime minister of Pakistan, to which he refused to say anything specific.
However, he added that the US valued its long-term partnership with Pakistan and a democratic Pakistan was ‘critical’ to US interests.
“Our engagement with new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his government will continue to focus on advancing these shared interests,” he added.
