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| 15 May 2004 | Saturday | 24 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425 |
Washington stays out of deportation row
WASHINGTON, May 14: The US administration wants to stay out of the dispute involving Shahbaz Sharif's deportation to Saudi Arabia and treats it as Pakistan's internal matter, diplomatic sources told Dawn on Friday.
Since Tuesday, when Shahbaz Sharif was put on a plane to Saudi Arabia, the US State Department has given three different reactions. The immediate reaction given by an official talking to Pakistani journalists was critical of the government's action. The official indicated that deporting political opponents was not compatible with Islamabad's stated desire for restoring full democracy in the country.
Hours later, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Pakistan had kept the United States informed about developments concerning Shahbaz Sharif's failed attempt to return home.
Mr Boucher insisted that the United States was "not in any way involved" in Pakistan's decision to deport Shahbaz Sharif or in choosing a destination for the deported leader.
Asked if the United States had spoken to other governments to find a place for Mr Sharif to live, Mr Boucher said: "We're not in any way directly involved in this." The United States, he said, had been following reports about his movements and also had "seen the press reports".
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