Director General (DG) Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Zaheer-ul-Islam left for Washington to hold meetings with US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) counterpart David Patraeus with drone strikes expected to be a major issue.
It is the first time in a year that the chief of the Pakistan’s ISI will make the trip, signalling a thaw in relations after Osama bin Laden was killed by US troops in May 2011.
The chiefs are expected to discuss counter-terror cooperation and intelligence sharing.
Islam would also demand an end to US drone attacks against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, and again ask for the means for Pakistan to carry out the attacks instead, the security official said.
Islamabad has been increasingly vocal in its public opposition to the drones. The leaders had quietly approved initially but now say they are a violation of sovereignty and insist they fan anti-US sentiment.
US officials are understood to believe the attacks too important to give up, although the number declined as relations between the nominal allies plunged to their lowest in a decade.
But on July 3 Islamabad agreed to end a seven-month blockade on NATO supplies.
Islam leaves for Washington
