Pakistan has decided not to attend the 'Summit for Democracy' organised by U.S. President Joe Biden, saying Islamabad is in contact with Washington on multiple issues and "we can engage on this subject at an opportune time in the future." Pakistan will, meanwhile, continue to support all efforts aimed towards strengthening dialogue, constructive engagement, and international cooperation for the advancement of our shared goals, the statement added.

Pakistan is a large functional democracy with an independent judiciary, vibrant civil society, and a free media, the statement said. 'We remain deeply committed to further deepening democracy, fighting corruption, and protecting, and promoting the human rights of all citizens. In recent years, Pakistan has instituted wide-ranging reforms aimed at advancing these goals. These reforms have yielded positive results.'

To be fair, this was a tough decision for Pakistan’s leadership, which genuinely wants to deepen its relationship with the United States while also safeguarding its strategic relationship with China þ analyst Uzair Younus wrote in The Atlantic Council. 'The decision to skip the Summit for Democracy, however, is a mistake that undermines this goal and will make it that much harder for Islamabad to develop better ties with Washington.', according to Younus.

The Summit for Democracy is slated to be held virtually on December 9-10.Washington hopes that 111 world leaders will attend the meeting and it will be a boost for global democracy threatened by an increase in authoritarian rulers. The conference is a test of Biden’s assertion, announced in his first foreign policy address in February, that he would return the United States to global leadership to face down authoritarian forces led by China and Russia.

The State Department’s top official for civilian security, democracy, and human rights Uzra Zeya said the event would bring together both established and emerging democracies and help them deliver for their people at “a moment of democratic reckoning.”U.S. officials hope to win support during the meetings for global initiatives such as use of technology to enhance privacy or circumvent censorship and for countries to make specific public commitments to improve their democracies before an in-person summit planned for late 2022.

China and Russia were not invited to this week’s event, which coincides with questions about the strength of America’s democracy.An invitation list published last month included countries whose leaders are accused by human rights groups of harboring authoritarian tendencies, like the Philippines, Poland and Brazil. It also included Taiwan, stoking anger from China, which considers the democratically governed island part of its territory.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said the invitation of Taiwan showed America was using democracy as “cover and a tool for it to advance its geopolitical objectives, oppress other countries, divide the world and serve its own interests.” Washington has used the run-up to the summit to announce sanctions against officials in Iran, Syria and Uganda it accuses of oppressing their populations, and against people it accused of being tied to corruption and criminal gangs in Kosovo and Central America, is another allegation.