WASHINGTON: The United States sent a clear message to Pakistan on Monday, telling all parties to the political impasse that it would not accept any effort to bring a change through violence or extra-constitutional means.<\/p>\n
\u201cViolence and destruction of private property and government buildings are not acceptable means of resolving political differences,\u201d said US State Department\u2019s spokesperson Jen Psaki in a statement issued hours after protesters briefly occupied PTV headquarters in Islamabad on Monday. \u201cWe strongly oppose any efforts to impose extra-constitutional change to the political system.\u201d<\/p>\n
The State Department\u2019s statement reminded Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek workers that while \u201cpeaceful protest and freedom of expression are important aspects of democracy,\u201d violence was not.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe continue to urge all sides to refrain from violence, exercise restraint, and respect the rule of law,\u201d said Ms Psaki, adding that the United States had \u201cbeen carefully monitoring the demonstrations in Islamabad\u201d and wanted all parties to resolve this dispute through dialogue.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, The New York Times urged the Obama administration to ensure the democratic process in Pakistan continued uninterrupted.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe United States, preoccupied with crises elsewhere, has shown little urgency in trying to calm the situation, even though Pakistan\u2019s stability is crucial to regional order \u2014 especially as American troops withdraw from Afghanistan,\u201d the newspaper said in an editorial.<\/p>\n