As China and Bangladesh were not invited to the US President Joe Biden’s Summit for Democracy, Pakistan did not join being invited. Apparently Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan did not receive any phone call since President Biden has taken office. The Pakistan government has chosen not participate, but Wednesday Islamabad said that it was “thankful” to the US government for the invite. This summit is being held for the first time on 8-10 December, with countries participating virtually. 

In an announcement, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said, “Pakistan is a large functional democracy with an independent judiciary, vibrant civil society, and a free media. We remain deeply committed to further deepening democracy, fighting corruption, and protecting and promoting human rights of all citizens. In recent years, Pakistan has instituted wide-ranging reforms aimed at advancing these goals. These reforms have yielded positive results.”

Meanwhile, critics questioned the guest list and whether the United States could be an effective advocate for democracy amid problems at home. In response Biden said, “we know as well as anyone that renewing our democracy and strengthening our democratic institutions requires constant effort.”

Pic from President Biden’s Twitter profile @POTUS