In a bid to keep Pakistan tamed at least until President Obama’s re-election bid in November, the US administration has paced up interactions at all levels, but still keeping the strategic dialogue’s resumption pending.
Dr Peter R Lavoy, US Principle Deputy Assistance Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs (APSA), held a meeting with Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Khalid Shameem Wynne.
“The (US) embassy normally does not make public the details of such meetings but yes he (Dr Lavoy) is here and holding a wide range of talks at the relevant quarters,” said Rian Harris, spokesperson for the US embassy.
“Obviously, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Asharaf is not in the country, Dr Lavoy cannot call on him,” she said and added, “He is also not scheduled to meet President Asif Ali Zardari.”
Asked about visits of Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman and President Obama’s National Security Advisor Tom Donilon reportedly on September 14, she said, “We do not have any such announcement to make in this regard. There are a lot many tours on cards but no announcement so far,” she maintained.
“No”, was the answer to whether Dr Lavoy sought a meeting with Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani.
Well-placed sources were of the view that the US administration was also concerned about Chief of Army Staff General Ashafaq Kayani’s imminent visit to Russia. “Therefore, they are scheduling one after another visit to Islamabad in order to both keep Pakistan busy and also to have sense of the country’s other interactions,” the sources added. Reports have also suggest that Lavoy came to Pakistan ahead of his schedule, primarily to address concerns, if any in the defense corridors, over US declaring of Haqqani network as a terrorist organization.
Analysts fear that the US psychological move to declare Haqqanis terrorists might impede collective efforts to bring Afghan Taliban on the table of talks. Earlier, an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement said Dr Lavoy called on Wynne.
He remained with the CJCSC for some time and discussed matters related to mutual cooperation and emerging geo-strategic situation of the region, it concluded.
