US calls Pakistan govt weak, warns if repercussions for any military coup in Islamabad

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration is concerned that the manner in which recent protests ended in Pakistan has emboldened extremists, a senior administration official has said, noting that the US was "observing" the situation, in particular, the military's role in it.

"We have seen unhelpful relationships between the military and some of the hardline Islamist parties. We are observing ..What happened and what role was played by the military? There is concern that the way these protests ended in a way has emboldened extremism and extremists in Pakistan," the official told PTI.

Observing that the "civil-military tension" in the country are "not helpful", the official said: "The government, right now, is pretty weak. This was shown at the recent protest."

The official rued that the handling of protests had made it



easier in Pakistan for people to levy blasphemy charges which are very unhelpful.

There are dozens of Pakistanis on death row for alleged blasphemy in public.

"So it's extremely unhelpful the... Harsh punishments...In the blasphemy legislation. And unfortunately, the way the protests were ended has probably only emboldened those elements. They feel they can take the law into their own hands and continue to levy blasphemy charges, which is unhelpful," said the official who did not wish to be named.

Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and human rights inside Pakistan is getting worse, the official added.

The White House official further warned that there would be "repercussions" for any military coup in Pakistan, which has a history of such dictatorship at frequent intervals.