Pompeo phones PM Imran, highlights Pak's importance in action against terrorist
Pompeo will land in Pakistan on Sep 5 and his visit is aimed at rapprochement with Pakistan
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday telephoned Prime Minister Imran Khan and congratulated him on successful election campaign and forming the government.
During the telephonic conversation, PM Imran Khan and Mike Pompeo agreed that establishment of peace in Afghanistan is a priority of Pakistan and the US.
The US Secretary of State also highlighted Pakistan s importance in decisive action against terrorist.
He wished the prime minister well for implementation of his commitment for the welfare of the people of Pakistan.
"Secretary Pompeo expressed his willingness to work with the new government towards a productive bilateral relationship."
Speaking on the occasion, Imran Khan emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral relations on the basis of mutual trust and mutual benefit.
The premier underscored the importance of peace and stability in the region.
Pompeo to Visit Pakistan
US Secretary of State is expected to land in Pakistan in first week of September to hold consultative meetings with Prime Minister Imran Khan and his team on issues of mutual interests.
Pompeo will land in Pakistan on Sep 5 and his visit is aimed at rapprochement with Pakistan and to restore the once close ties enjoyed by Islamabad and Washington.
Pompeo will also request Pakistan to back US-led move to restart the peace process in war-torn Afghanistan.
It was further reported that Alice Wells, who heads the Bureau for South Asian Affairs at the State Department, may also accompany Pompeo.
US-Pakistan Ties
Ties with the US cooled further in January when US President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of “lies” and “duplicity” in the war on terror, suspending military assistance worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
In his first tweet of 2018, Trump slammed Pakistan, saying the country has rewarded past US aid with “nothing but lies & deceit.”
Officially allies in fighting terrorism, Pakistan and the United States have a complicated relationship, bound by Washington’s dependence on Pakistan to supply its troops in Afghanistan but plagued by accusations Islamabad is playing a double game.
Tensions have grown over US complaints that the Afghan Taliban militants and the Haqqani network that target American troops in Afghanistan are allowed to shelter on Pakistani soil.
Balance in US Ties
Khan has repeatedly blamed Pakistan’s participation in the US-led anti-terror campaign for the surge in terrorism on home soil over the last decade.
Now as premier, in a tone noticeably softer than his earlier anti-US comments, Khan has said he wants a “balanced relationship” instead of “fighting America’s war” in exchange for aid.
Khan has long advocated a negotiated settlement in Afghanistan, a commitment that led to criticism that he is soft on militants and earned him the nickname “Taliban Khan”. If not in Washington, he may find a sympathetic ear in Kabul.
Imran Khan is very well positioned in building trust again with Afghanistan as he is seen as a fresh face with a credible voice. Given the current freeze with Washington, Islamabad’s “drift from the US camp to the China camp will continue.
Beijing has long been Islamabad’s “all-weather friend”, and the strategic relationship was stepped up with the 2013 launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multibillion-dollar infrastructure project that is part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.
