WASHINGTON : US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday congratulated Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who took office after the ouster of Imran Khan.

In a statement, the top diplomat hailed Pakistan as “an important partner on wide-ranging mutual interests for nearly 75 years” and said the US values their relationship.

“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,” said Blinken.

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

Sharif was sworn-in on Monday after former Premier Imran Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote that he attempted to thwart. The younger brother of three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and a joint candidate of the combined opposition secured 174 votes in Pakistan’s 342-member lower legislative chamber, the National Assembly.

Khan maintained that he was the victim of a US plot that sought his removal.