WASHINGTON: Acting deputy secretary US Victoria Nuland has congratulated Pakistan’s caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani, US State Department said.
Nuland and Jilani discussed the importance of “timely, free and fair elections” in Pakistan and matters related to expanding bilateral cooperation.
Both the diplomats also discussed Pakistan’s economic stability and continued engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the State Department said
Pakistan swore in a caretaker cabinet under interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar in mid-August, tasking it with running the country until fresh elections, which may be delayed beyond November as constituency boundaries are redrawn.
The caretaker cabinet’s top job will be to lead Pakistan towards economic stabilization, with the $350 billion economy treading a narrow recovery path after getting a last-minute $3 billion bailout deal from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), averting a sovereign debt default.
The election commission earlier this month said new constituencies based on the latest census would be finalized by Dec. 14. After that, the commission will confirm an election date.
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