WASHINGTON: The State Department has said former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan “is a private citizen, and the US government does not have a stance” on private citizens.

At a regular news briefing on Thursday afternoon, journalists pointed out that the Pakistani government was advising news outlets “not even to mention Mr Khan’s name” in their news bulletins and talk shows.

“So, would you like to say something about (how this impacts press freedom) and the public’s right to access information?” one of the journalists asked. 

“I would say that we generally urge all governments to respect the role of journalists and media. We believe the press performs a critical function in democratic societies,” Matthew Miller, the State Department’s spokesperson, said.

Washington expects journalists in Pakistan will be allowed to work independently, says spokesperson

“We expect that journalists covering the events in Pakistan should all be allowed to do their work.”

A free and independent press, he said, was a vital, core institution that “undergirds healthy democracies by ensuring that electorates can make informed decisions and holding government officials accountable”.

When asked what is the current US stance towards Imran Khan, Mr Miller said: “He’s a private citizen. We don’t generally have stances towards private (citizens).”

When a journalist reminded him that Mr Khan was a former prime minister who “claims that defying US policies led to his downfall”, the State Department official said: “I would say that we’ve spoken to this in the past. Those allegations are absolutely false. Pakistani politics are a matter for the Pakistani people to decide, pursuant to their own constitution and laws. They are not a matter for the US government.”  

At another news briefing this week, Mr Miller was asked if he was aware of Islamabad’s decision to hold military trials of civilian protesters.

“We are aware of the reports concerning civilians who will face military trials for their suspected involvement in the May 9 protest,” the US official said.

“We continue, as we have in the past, to urge Pakistani authorities to respect democratic principles and the rule of law for all people as enshrined in the country’s constitution.”

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2023