U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday congratulated interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on his appointment, assuring that the two nations will continue to advance their “shared commitment to economic prosperity.”
In a posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, he said that as Pakistan prepares for “free and fair elections, in accordance with its Constitution and the rights to freedom of speech and assembly,” the U.S. would “continue to advance” their “shared commitment to economic prosperity.” Responding to the post, the caretaker prime minister thanked Blinken and vowed that his government would work to facilitate a “free and fair election process in Pakistan” in accordance with the Constitution.
“We place importance on our partnership with the U.S. and deeply value the shared commitment to economic prosperity, democracy and stability in the region,” he added.
Gulf states
Separately, Kakar continued to perform his duties as interim prime minister, conducting several meetings on Wednesday, including with the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Kakar told Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Saeed Ahmad Al-Malki that the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) would continue to work to expedite foreign investments, particularly from the Gulf kingdom. It said the interim prime minister had highlighted energy, infrastructure, agriculture, information technology and manpower as potential sectors of cooperation.
The Saudi envoy, per the statement, congratulated the prime minister on assuming office and conveyed best wishes for him on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, as well as Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and the people of Saudi Arabia. It said the prime minister had emphasized the historic and deep-rooted ties between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and thanked the Saudi government for its consistent support for Islamabad’s economic stability and development. He also requested the kingdom to continue to extend all possible facilities to the large number of Pakistanis working in Saudi Arabia.
During their meeting, the prime minister lauded the vision of the Saudi leadership, adding the kingdom could always consider Pakistan its trusted and reliable partner. Ambassador Nawaf, meanwhile, reiterated the strength of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan’s fraternal relationship, noting it was characterized by mutual trust and understanding, and close cooperation on all bilateral and regional issues of common interest.
In his meeting with U.A.E. Ambassador Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al-Zaabi, the prime minister said he looked forward to working with the Gulf state to advance bilateral cooperation in various fields, especially trade, investment and energy. He also expressed gratitude for the U.A.E.’s support for Pakistan’s economic and financial stability.
The ambassador, per the PMO statement, conveyed the greetings of the U.A.E. leadership to Kakar on his assumption of office. The prime minister, meanwhile, thanked the U.A.E. government for the warm congratulatory messages, noting Pakistan and the U.A.E. enjoyed historic and deep-rooted fraternal ties. He also wished the U.A.E. success for hosting the COP28 Summit later this year.