WASHINGTON - Stressing that the United States supports the democratic right to expression and assembly, a State Department spokesman Wednesday called for restraint on part of all political parties in Pakistan and resolution of their differences in accordance with the country's law and constitution. "Our position remains that we support freedom of speech, of expression, of assembly in Pakistan, what we think is important is that the various parties resolve their differences within the political system of Pakistan and in accordance with its constitution and respect for the rule of the law," the department spokesman, Robert Wood, said. He was asked to comment on the large-scale arrests in Pakistan ahead of lawyers' long march to press their demand for the restoration of ex-Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. "We are obviously going to be following the situation, at this point, we want to see all parties refrain from violence and act in accordance with the constitution," Wood stated. "I've given you our general views with regard to freedom of expression and assembly. "What we want to see happen on the ground in Pakistan is that the opposition parties, the government act in accordance with Pakistan's constitution. If that's indeed the case, there's nothing more that, you know, we can say or do about it. I mean, as long as the Pakistan - the various parties are refraining from violence, acting in accordance with the rule of law, that's what we'd want to see happen." In response to another question, the spokesman remarked that Pakistan has a sovereign government which takes its decisions on its own and what he is describing is the long-standing US policy on freedom of expression and assembly. Asked about the US position on reinstatement of the judges, deposed during emergency period in November 2007, the spokesman replied: "That is something that's going to have to be determined by the Pakistanis in accordance with their laws and their constitution. I can't go beyond that."