Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, is expected to visit Islamabad in the first week of September to hold important consultations with Prime Minister Imran Khan, reported Dawn News. Pompeo is also expected to meet Khan’s team and discuss other issues of mutual interest.
Pompeo, who is expected to land in Islamabad on Sept 5, will be the first high profile foreign dignitary to likely meet the newly-elected Khan, who took his oath this Saturday.
Sources further suggest that during his meetings in Islamabad, Pompeo’s visit might focus on two major issues. The first issue will be reviving bilateral ties between both the countries that have taken a hit in the recent months, especially after US President Donald Trump announced his South Asia policy. The second issue, likely to come under discussion, is to seek Pakistan’s support in an Afghan-led peace process.
Alice Wells, who heads the Bureau for South Asian Affairs at the State Department, is also expected to accompany Pompeo on his visit. Washington has recently urged Islamabad to help end the Afghan war, adding that recent terrorist attacks have not discouraged the US government from negotiating peace with the Taliban.
Source: CRSS Blog.
© Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) and Afghan Studies Center (ASC), Islamabad.
