By Muhammad Luqman
American Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo met with Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday to ease the strained relations between Washington and Islamabad.
According to media reports, the two sides discussed Afghan peace process and blockage of $300 million in Coalition Support Fund (CSF) among other matters of mutual interest during a meeting in the capital, Islamabad.
Pompeo, who along with US Joint Chief of Staff Chairman General Joseph Dunford had arrived on an official visit to Pakistan earlier in the day, was accompanied by other senior officials during the meeting. Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa also attended the meeting.
Pompeo also held a delegation level meeting with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi at the Foreign Office earlier in the day.
The two sides discussed bilateral, regional and international issues, Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said in Tweet. “FM Qureshi underscores the need to reset bilateral ties on basis of mutual trust and respect. Safeguarding Pakistan’s national interests will remain supreme priority,” he added.
Discussions on bilateral, regional and international issues take place between Pakistan and the US. FM Qureshi underscores the need to reset bilateral ties on basis of mutual trust and respect. Safeguarding Pakistan’s national interests will remain supreme priority.
Analysts believe that the first ever visit by any high level American official after the installation of new government in the South Asian nation is aimed at an effort to reset relations strained over the war in Afghanistan.
The US secretary of state said on Tuesday he was hoping to reset ties with Pakistan ahead of the trip. He also announced that Zalmay Khalilzad, a high-profile former US ambassador,would lead peace efforts in Afghanistan.
Tensions between the two countries rose ahead of the visit when the Pentagon confirmed it had made a final decision to cancel $300 million in military aid to Pakistan.
Earlier, Pompeo met Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and discussed the matters of common interests. Both the dignitaries stressed on the need of strengthening the bilateral relationship.
Pompeo arrived in Islamabad on a day’s visit aimed at talks with the new government for reviving stalled bilateral relations and to discuss regional security situation including Afghanistan.
In July, Pompeo had said that there was “no rationale” for the IMF to give money to Pakistan that would then be used to pay off Chinese loans, comments that further rattled Islamabad.
Pompeo is due next to visit India, Pakistan’s arch-rival neighbor where he is expected to mount pressure on New Delhi over its purchases of Iranian oil and Russian missile systems.
Pompeo and U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will meet their Indian counterparts in the capital, New Delhi, on Thursday, and are expected to finalize defense pacts that could bring their militaries closer amid China’s rising influence, according to media reports.
The talks come as U.S. hostility rises towards India’s traditional allies Iran and Russia, on which Washington has placed sanctions. Iran is a big oil supplier to India, and two-thirds of its military equipment is from Russia.
