US unlikely to lift Pak aid freeze
US is unlikely to revoke the suspension of security aid to Pakistan until it sees substantial action against terrorists and their safe havens, the Trump administration has told Islamabad as foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met officials here to try to reset strained ties.
Secretary of state Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton, during separate meetings with Qureshi on Tuesday, are understood to have told him that the US has not seen any changes on the ground on acting against terrorists operating from Pakistani soil, PTI reported citing its sources.
A statement issued by Pakiand stan’s Foreign Office quoted Qureshi as telling Pompeo that “peace in South Asia…would remain elusive until all disputes, including the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir, are resolved”.
A US state department readout on the meeting between Pompeo Qureshi quoted the secretary of state as emphasising the “important role Pakistan could play in bringing about a negotiated settlement” in Afghanistan. Pompeo said there was momentum to advance the Afghan peace process and that the Taliban “should seize the opportunity of dialogue”. Pompeo discussed the importance of the US and Pakistan working together to advance joint priorities while recognising that bilateral cooperation is mutually beneficial and a factor for stability in South Asia. The two leaders agreed to remain engaged on these issues and to maintain a “constructive dialogue”. HTC & AGENCIES