Pompeo to visit Pakistan in first week of September

ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State jichael Pompeo is likely to visit Pakistan in the first week of September for consultations with Prime jinister Imran Khan and his team on issues of mutual interests, said a report.

Pompeo, who is expected in Islamabad on Sept.5, will likely be the first foreign dignitary to meet the new prime minister.

During his talks with Pakistani officials, Pompeo may focus on two major issues: efforts to revive once close ties between the two states and Pakistan’s supportforaus-ledmovetojump-starting the Afghan peace process.

Alice Wells, who heads the Bureau for South Asian affairs at the State Department, may also accompany Pompeo.

Earlier this week, US officials urged Pakistan to help end the Afghan war, adding that recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan have not discouraged them from negotiating peace with some Taliban factions.

“What we’re seeing here is, there are some factions, some elements of the Taliban that clearly are not on board with peace. Others do want to have peace negotiations and peace discussions,” said State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert while commenting on this week’s terrorist attacks in Kabul that killed almost 50 people.

On Tuesday, a senior US official reminded Pakistan that now was the time to peacefully end the 17-year old war in Afghanistan and encouraged Islamabad to play a leading role in this process.

Apparently, Washington believes that Pakistan still has enough influence over the Afghan Taliban to persuade them to join the peace process, and wants Islamabad to help establish a political setup in Kabul that would allow a peaceful withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan.