Press Releases 2007
U.S. Ambassador Urges Political Parties To Participate In Polls
12/03/2007
Envoy Patterson Meets PML-N Chief Mian Nawaz Sharif, HRCP Chairperson Asma Jehangir, Mrs. Bushra Aitzaz Ahsan and Former CM Pervaiz Elahi
Lahore - U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W. Patterson reiterated American interest in “free, fair and credible elections” and emphasized U.S. “neutrality on the outcome of Pakistani elections” during her meeting with Chief of the PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) and former prime minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif at his residence today.
The U.S. Envoy called for “the candidates and the people to fully participate in the elections” scheduled for January 8, 2008 in her meeting with the PML-N leadership.
“We welcome President Musharraf’s assurance to lift the state of emergency on December 16 as it is an essential step to get Pakistan back on the path to democracy,” stated Ambassador Patterson but noted that other “restrictions also need to be lifted” to allow free elections.
“For elections to be credible, detained members of political parties and civil society must be released. The media must be free to report on events and share their opinions with the public,” stressed the senior U.S. diplomat after her meeting with Ms. Asma Jehangir, Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
Ambassador Patterson also expressed “great concern on the continued detention” of senior advocate and politician Mr. Aitzaz Ahsan during her meeting with Mrs. Bushra Aitzaz at their residence. “Institutions of civil society are fundamental to a thriving democracy,” the envoy remarked.
During her visit to Lahore, the U.S. Ambassador also paid a courtesy visit on former chief minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and discussed a range of issues with him.