The United States on Wednesday congratulated Shehbaz Sharif for becoming the new Prime Minister of Pakistan, days after former PM Imran Khan was ousted by lawmakers in a no-confidence vote.

“The United States congratulates newly-elected Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and we look forward to continuing our long-standing cooperation with Pakistan’s government,” US Secretary of state Antony Blinken said in a statement, adding that Pakistan had been an important partner of the US on a variety of issues for nearly 75 years.

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“The United States views a strong, prosperous, and democratic Pakistan as essential for the interests of both of our countries,” Blinken added.

The 59-year-old’s statement of congratulations comes a day after Sharif’s office signalled its openness to improving ties with the US, which had hit rock bottom since Joe Biden took office as President in January 2021.

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In the last 16 months, former PM Imran Khan had not received a single call from Biden, and the increasingly strained relationship with the two countries hit rock bottom when the former World Cup winner accused the US of having used Pakistan for its own ends.

“Pakistan was a hired gun for the US. We were supposed to make the US win the war in Afghanistan which we never could,” Khan had said after the US’ withdrawal.

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However, the new Sharif government is looking to repair relations with Washington and has signalled its openness to engage with the US for shared goals and international co-operation.

“The new government wishes to constructively and positively engage with the US to promote shared goals of peace, security and development in the region,” Sharif’s office had said.