ISLAMABAD: US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome on Wednesday said his recent meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja was an opportunity to reiterate the United States’ hope that Pakistan will conduct its elections in accordance with Pakistan’s laws and constitution by allowing the people to decide who their next leadership will be.
Ambassador Blome was responding to questions after addressing an event of the Asia Foundation titled, “Reflective Session on Gender-Based Violence Reduction” held here.
“It’s an opportunity for us to reiterate our hope that Pakistan will conduct its elections in accordance with Pakistan’s laws and Constitution, and the decisions of its institutions, in a free and fair and open manner, and allow the Pakistani people to decide who their next leadership will be,” Ambassador Blome said when asked about his recent meeting with the CEC.
To another query, he said that it is extremely important that women are fully represented among the electorate and are encouraged to vote. “And of course, in keeping with the theme of our event today, feel safe and able to go to their voting places and have their voices heard. That’s of critical importance to the United States,” he added.
In his address, the US ambassador called for collective action against gender-based violence in Pakistan and around the world.
“In Pakistan, and around the world, alarming rates of gender-based violence demand our collective action and attention. Women and girls continue to face discrimination, harassment, and violence solely based on their gender. This is a violation of their basic human rights and an affront to the principles of equality and justice that both our countries and the United Nations uphold,” the US ambassador said while addressing the event.
In late 2021, he pointed out that the US government adopted its first national strategy on gender equality which is the first US roadmap for addressing gender inequality both in our domestic and foreign policies.
Similarly, he added that Pakistan’s National Security Policy states that “providing women and transgender persons a safe environment at home, in public spaces, and at the workplace are priorities for the country.”
He stated that the United States and Pakistan share a conviction that promoting gender security means the full integration and participation of women in decision-making, law enforcement, justice, and peacekeeping.
“Let us continue to work together to support a Pakistan that is safe, inclusive, and just for all its citizens. I would like to recognise the International Islamic Research Institute, whose collective experience and extensive scholarship on the nexus between gender equity and Shariah principles is helping root out misinformation and educate the public on the resources available to survivors of gender-based violence,” he added.
He said that the United States and Pakistan’s shared interest in promoting gender security as a matter of justice and of prosperity. “We will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Pakistan in our shared goal of justice for all,” he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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