JK News Today Commentary
Jammu: It’s no surprise that Pakistan opted out of moot on Democracy hosted by the United States to inculcate and promote democratic values across the globe. It’s Foreign Office made the announcement in a statement of staying out of the conference, hours before the event , for it was scared of being part of the democratic world and also it thought it was under obligation to China not to attend the meet where China is not on the guest list.
The compulsions of Pakistan are understandable because it’s internal situation is so horrendous that it could not have explained its all the undemocratic things happening within the country . It also wanted to oblige China , as Washington did not extend the invite to Beijing but invited Taiwan instead. China and U.S. are at loggerheads over the status of Taiwan. China insists that the island nation is its integral part. The US, however, treats Taiwan as an independent and sovereign nation.
The virtual summit has been co-sponsored by the US Department of State and USAID on the theme of ‘Global Declaration of Mayors for Democracy’.
Pakistan foreign office statement read : “ We are thankful to the United States and the co-host countries for inviting Pakistan to attend the Second Summit for Democracy being held on 29-30 March,” read a statement.
“The issue of Pakistan’s participation in the Second Summit for Democracy in the US had been under discussion for some time, particularly because it could potentially upset its “all-weather friend” China, which had not been invited to the summit. The decision had been a challenging one, with Pakistan weighing the benefits of participation against the potential risks to its diplomatic relationships, “ wrote Dawn in its analysis as to why Islamabad made this decision.
“As a vibrant democracy, the people of Pakistan are deeply committed to democratic values and generations of Pakistanis time after time have upheld their faith in democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms. This month, the nation is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Constitution that is the fountain of democratic polity in Pakistan,” the statement further read.
“We value our friendship with the United States. Under this Biden Administration, this relationship has widened and expanded substantially. We remain committed to further solidifying this relationship for peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.”
The statement said that Pakistan had not been part of the summit process that commenced in 2021 and required countries to make certain national commitments.”
The statement, however did not mention the real reasons for taking this decision.
As analysed by Pakistani media, Pakistan is aware that China will be closely monitoring the summit on democracy, and it would not run the risk of annoying China
In short, Pakistan is caught in between its diplomatic and political compulsions and cannot take decisions on its own.
