US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is likely to arrive here on October 20 (Thursday) for a two-day visit aimed at putting the strained Pakistan-US relations back on track and rectifying the damage done to bilateral ties by strong anti-Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) statements by American officials accusing it of sponsoring terrorism in Afghanistan. As the top US diplomat lands here later this week, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has put off his visit to Islamabad, which was also scheduled for later this week.
A diplomat confirmed the postponement of the Iranian president’s visit but said it had nothing to do with Clinton’s visit and was only a matter of working out the schedule of the Iranian leader, who would now visit Pakistan some other time in the near future. Iran and the US are currently engaged in a serious row over the Obama administration’s allegations against Tehran of devising a plot to kill the Saudi Arabian ambassador to Washington.
The diplomat said that during her visit to Islamabad, Clinton would pick up the discussion from where US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman left it. Grossman visited Islamabad a few days ago and held meetings with Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership on prospects of peace talks with the powerful Taliban-linked militant group Haqqani network. “Clinton’s visit is a great opportunity for the two countries to normalise their ties,” the diplomat said.
Before Grossman’s visit both sides were not communicating via formal diplomatic channels and the only discussions being held were through secret channels between the defence officials of the two countries. This fact lends further importance to the secretary of state’s visit. Clinton will meet President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani during her two-day stay in Islamabad and hold talks with them on ways to improve bilateral ties and revive full counter-terrorism cooperation.
“[Clinton’s] visit to Islamabad will help Pakistani officials know how serious the Obama is about holding peace talks with the Haqqani network and other Taliban groups and in light of that, Islamabad could devise its strategy for a possible role of mediator between the two sides,” the diplomat said. He said Pakistani officials would come up with a strong demand for the US to restore military aid to Islamabad and to speed up the flow of assistance under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) as well.
“India’s growing influence in Afghanistan and Islamabad’s objections to that would also be brought to the knowledge of Clinton,” he said.
hahhahahha playing the role of mediator ??????? what ? Both are Pakistan's masters and how can a hired supari killer be a mediator?
nothing will change. there are some powerful people upthere who see war the only way to reap profits .
HARLEEN :> remember the only person who can make a diffrence is the one whos gona pull the trigger so it depends upon that SUPARI killer that is he gona pull the trigger or not so that SUPARI KILLER is the only one who can make the diffrence or can work as an mediator !!!
AMIN :> u r very ryt bt some times gud guys win n some times bad guys win
the problem in the winning of a bad is this that they can win today bt they r destined to lose tommorow !!! …
so guys dnt wory our ISI HAWKs will ensure dat every thing goes chilled ! …
The reporter of above news is either misguiding the people or has no idea what's going on.
The US Army has shifted hundreds of its troops to the Afghan area bordering North Waziristan on Sunday along with heavy arms and gunship helicopters and sealed the Pak-Afghan border for all types of movement.
There will never be better relations in War postures.
point…
May 2000 —
In what has been described as its most important vote this year, the U.S. Congress will soon decide whether to provide permanent normal trade relations to China. A vote is required because, after 14 years of negotiations, China is poised to enter the World Trade Organization (WTO). Assuming China concludes its bilateral negotiations with the European Union by June or July, entry is likely before the end of the year. The cornerstone principle of the World Trade Organization is that members provide each other unconditional Most Favored Nation trade status, now called Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) in U.S. trade law. Current U.S. law precludes granting PNTR to China; as a result President Clinton has asked Congress to amend the law. http://www.villagevoice.com/2000-05-23/news/wal-mart-s-f... – Similar
May 23, 2000 – Twice in three days last week, Hillary Rodham Clinton basked in the … her holdings of between $50000 and $100000 worth of Wal-Mart stock. …
It’s trouble every time she comes ! She should stay whatever she is we don’t want her in Pakistan .
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