US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Tuesday declined to comment on PTI founder’s prison sentence saying “We have been following the cases brought against the former prime minister but don’t have any comment on the sentencing.” In his media briefing in Washington, Matthew Miller said that the prosecution of the former prime minister is a legal matter and added that it is a legal matter ultimately for Pakistan’s courts to decide. Matthew Miller said that we have stated consistently, we continue to call for the respect of democratic principles, human rights, and the rule of law in Pakistan, as we do around the world. Replying to a question, he said that we want to see a free, fair, and open democratic process, and when it comes to legal matters, those are matters for the Pakistani courts to decide.

“We want to see the democratic process unfold in a way that allows broad participation for all parties and respects democratic principles. We don’t take a position, as you have heard us say before, about internal Pakistani matters, and we don’t take a position with respect to candidates for office in Pakistan,” he said. Matthew Miller said that we certainly want to see a free and fair elections in Pakistan, and we will be monitoring how that proceed over the next week to 10 days.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)