Jalil Afridi
WASHINGTON, D.C: During the daily press briefing at the U.S. State Department, Spokesperson Matthew Miller addressed questions posed by The Frontier Post regarding recent U.S. actions and ongoing issues in Pakistan.
The Frontier Post asked Miller about the U.S. State Department’s recent request to Congress for $101 million to support democracy in Pakistan.
The Frontier Post highlighted a tweet by Congressman Brad Sherman, who urged Under Secretary Donald Lu to instruct the U.S. ambassador in Pakistan to meet with Imran Khan, former Prime Minister and Chairman of PTI, who has been imprisoned for the past year.
The Frontier Post pointed out the inconsistency between the U.S. funding for democracy and the lack of engagement with a key political figure like Imran Khan.
Responding to the query, Miller noted, “Donald Lu comes up more in this briefing than any assistant secretary in the building. I don’t know how many times I’ve gotten questions about him. I’m not aware – you said it was a tweet from Brad Sherman? Haven’t seen this tweet, so I can’t respond to it.”
Matthew reiterated the U.S. position on internal political matters in Pakistan, emphasizing, “We urge respect for democracy, respect for human rights, and treatment of all political parties equally.”
The Frontier Post then shifted focus to a recent incident in North Waziristan, where a girls’ school was blown up, reflecting on the expanding influence of the Taliban in the region. The Frontier Post questioned whether the U.S. administration, already stretched thin with issues in Ukraine and Gaza, was paying adequate attention to the resurgence of terrorism and its impact on girls’ education, drawing parallels to the attack on Malala Yousafzai.
In his response, Miller stated, “You started your question referring to our administration requesting additional funds to fight terrorism in Pakistan and then ended it by questioning our commitment to fighting terrorism in Pakistan.”
He acknowledged the gravity of the situation, suggesting that the U.S. administration’s request for funds itself underscores their commitment to combating terrorism in the region.
“I think I would just suggest that in this case the question answers itself,” Miller concluded.
The exchange highlighted the complexities of U.S. foreign policy in Pakistan, balancing support for democratic institutions with the urgent need to address escalating security threats.
