WASHINGTON: During the annual meeting of the DC, Maryland, Virginia (DMV) chapter of the Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America (APPNA), US Senator Chris Van Hollen expressed that the United States would continue to support Islamabad’s efforts to stabilise its economy.
He added that the US played a pivotal role in the latest economic relief to Pakistan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He also highlighted the importance of an enduring relationship between the US and Pakistan. IMF approved a 9-month Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) for an amount of about $3 billion in July this year to support Pakistan’s economic stability programme.
The senator, while talking to Pakistani journalists, said that the United States was instrumental in assuring that the IMF would step forward with its emergency economic relief. He added that there are continuing challenges, but the US recognizes the importance of a good relationship with Pakistan for regional stability and security across the world.
Chris Van Hollen briefed that the Biden administration wants to have very strong bilateral relations with Pakistan which is why it has supported Pakistan’s efforts to stabilise the economy and also provided substantial response in the aftermath of the terrible flooding.
US Interference in Pakistan Politics
Van Hollen assured that the Biden administration had no intentions to interfere in the internal politics of Pakistan. He commented that he has been in regular communications with the Biden administration and can safely state that the US is not trying to engineer anything with respect to politics in Pakistan.
Regarding the current political turmoil in Pakistan, he urged for free and fair elections. Mr. Hollen said he’s watching situations closely as a US senator and felt that it’s important for the people of Pakistan that they have free and fair elections.