US hopes for ‘smooth transition’ after Nawaz’s disqualification
US describes Sharif's ouster as Pakistan's “internal matter”
July 29, 2017
The United States said on Friday it is looking forward to a “smooth” political transition in Pakistan after the Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif as prime minister in the high-profile Panama Papers case.
“We look forward to a smooth transition as Pakistan's parliament selects the next prime minister,” a State Department official said.
The official, however, described Sharif's ouster as Pakistan's “internal matter”.
Meanwhile Michael Kugelman, a Pakistan expert at the US think tank Wilson Centre, called Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification “a victory for democratic principles.”
He said democratisation has progressed with the Supreme Court’s landmark verdict.
US media covered the verdict as breaking news, with political commentators expressing mixed reactions over the PM’s disqualification.
“Friday's ruling marked the first time in the country's history that a leader was disqualified from office following a judicial process,” CNN reported.
“The court's decision is a victory for the rule of law,” CNBC quoted Timothy Ash, emerging markets senior sovereign strategist at BlueBay Asset Management, as saying.
