The United States says it hopes for a smooth transfer of power in Pakistan after the Supreme Court verdict that disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
“This is an internal matter. We look forward to a smooth transition as Pakistan’s parliament selects the next prime minister,” said a State Department spokesperson when asked to comment on the verdict, on Friday.
The comment followed an announcement that the State Department is sending its acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells on “an introductory trip” to India and Pakistan this week.
And the visit is not the only important foreign policy matter that the government in Islamabad has to deal with this week, despite the political turmoil that it finds itself enmeshed in. Even more important is the immediate need to send a high-powered team to Washington for crucial water talks with India at the World Bank headquarters.
