Shehbaz Sharif was named Pakistan’s new Prime Minister on Thursday, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated him.
Shehbaz took oath as Pakistan’s 23rd Prime Minister on Sunday after the joint opposition elected him after PTI Chairman Imran Khan was ousted through a no-confidence motion.
PM Shehbaz received 174 votes to PTI’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s zero votes after his party boycotted the election and decided to resign from the National Assemblies.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and promised to work with the new Pakistan government in the early hours of Thursday.
“We value our relationship with Pakistan, which has been an important partner for nearly 75 years on a wide range of mutual interests. “We look forward to continuing our long-standing cooperation with Pakistan’s government,” the US State Department said in a statement.
“A strong, prosperous, and democratic Pakistan is essential for the interests of both our countries,” Blinken continued in his statement.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was also congratulated on becoming Pakistan’s 23rd prime minister by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Pakistani military-to-military ties are expected to continue, according to the Pentagon.
Despite the change in government and the swearing-in of Shehbaz Sharif as Prime Minister, the Pentagon said the US would maintain its “healthy” military-to-military ties with Pakistan the day before.
According to Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby, the United States and Pakistan have common security and stability interests. “We acknowledge Pakistan’s strategic importance in the region.”
Kirby ruled out any US military involvement in Pakistan, saying that the US recognizes Pakistan and its people as “inside their own country” victims of terrorist attacks.
“I don’t think the US military will play a role in this situation. I’m also not going to get involved in Pakistan’s internal politics “At a press briefing, he told a journalist.
