Khan ‘optimistic’ of healing split with Washington over Pakistan’s fight against militants
IMRAN KHAN, Pakistan’s newly elected prime minister, met with Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, in Islamabad yesterday, saying he was “optimistic” he could reset the relationship with Washington after the US suspended aid over the country’s alleged failure to combat militants.
“You know I’m a born optimist,” said Mr Khan, the former cricket star sworn into office last month. “A sportsman always is an optimist. He steps on the field and he thinks he’s going to win.”
At the airport before leaving for neighbouring India, Mr Pompeo said he was “hopeful” that a foundation had been laid to move forward.
“We’ve still got a long way to go, lots more discussion to be had,” he said. “It’s time for us to begin to deliver on our joint commitment... We’ve had lots of times where we’ve talked and made agreements, but we haven’t been able to actually execute those.”
Mr Pompeo held meetings with Mr Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pakistan’s foreign minister, and Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, the army chief.
“We talked about their new govern- ment, the opportunity to reset the relationship between our two countries across a business, broad spectrum, economic, commercial,” Mr Pompeo said. He said they also discussed “the work that we all know that we need to do to try to develop a peaceful resolution in Afghanistan that benefits certainly Afghanistan, but also the United States and Pakistan.”
The US last weekend cancelled a $300 million (£234 million) Coalition Support Fund payment to Pakistan after long complaining that it was not doing enough to combat the Taliban and other militants who attack Afghan and US forces across the porous border.
Pakistan has rejected those allegations, saying it has played a key role in the Us-led campaign against extremists that began after the 9/11 attacks.
Mr Pompeo announced his appointment of Zalmay Khalilzad, a veteran diplomat who is unpopular in Pakistan, as the new US special adviser on Afghan reconciliation.