ISLAMABAD – US Vice President Joseph Biden arrives in Islamabad today (Wednesday) on a day-long visit to convey to the Pakistani leadership the Obama administration’s deep concern over political and economic crises in Pakistan and Washington’s demand for immediate corrective measures on both fronts.
Stringent security arrangements have been made to avert any untoward incident during Biden’s visit. American security agencies will lead the security right from Biden’s landing at the Chaklala Airbase up to the Presidency and the Prime Minister’s House.
The US vice president will meet President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and army chief General Ashfaq Kayani.
“Such tight are the security arrangements that even the media will not be invited to Presidency and the Prime Minister’s House for the coverage or possible press interaction and only a couple of official media representatives will be present there,” an official said.
“We were expecting Biden to arrive (in Islamabad) on Tuesday evening for an overnight stay but perhaps the reports about precarious security situation in Pakistan in the wake of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer’s murder made the US leader change his mind and he rather preferred to stay in Kabul for two nights where he also had a joint press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai,” he said.
At the press conference, the US vice president had reportedly said little pressure from Pakistan had been observed to maintain progress made by coalition forces against insurgents in Afghanistan.
Biden arrived in Kabul on Monday to be briefed on efforts made by Afghan security forces to take overall security responsibility of the country from the NATO-led troops by end of 2014.
The official said the information that they had received from Washington suggested that Biden was arriving here with a strong message that USadministration was deeply concerned over the worsening political and economic situation in Pakistan but despite all the weaknesses of current rulers it was for the continuity of political set up in Pakistan and would not condone any extra-constitutional act that results in the derailment of democracy.
“Biden will also ask for strong corrective measures on the part of Pakistani government to end the political and economic crises prevailing in the country,” he said.
He said the other important issue that would be discussed at length during Biden’s visit was that of military operation in North Waziristan for which the United Stated had been demanding for months now.
“Biden would once again urge Pakistan’s civilian and military leaders for an immediate military offensive in North Waziristan to eliminate the terrorists’ hideouts without which the Americans see slim chances of success on war front against the Al Qaeda and Taliban across the border in Afghanistan,” the official said.
