Top US official in Pak for crucial talks

ISLAMABAD: A senior United States National Security Council official Ms Lisa Curtis called on Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua here in Islamabad on Monday, Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal said.

A senior US official’s visit to the federal capital days after FATF Summit, is being considered as an attempt to ease the situation created after US move to push a motion to put Pakistan on global terror financing watch-list.

FS (Ms Tehmina Janjua) meets Ms Lisa Curtis, the Senior Director for South and Central Asia at the NSC of US, at Mofa (ministry of foreign affairs) this morning,” Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal tweeted on Monday. However, no further details of the meeting were provided in the tweet.

Pak-US ties hit rock bottom earlier this year after President Donald Trump accused Islamabad of ‘lies and deceit’ despite receiving billions of dollars in aid. Later, the Trump administration suspended security aid to Pakistan. Islamabad responded strongly with calls for trust not aid and asked Washington to show respect to the sacrifices it made during war on terror.

Since then several senior US officials have visited and met senior leadership to improve ties.

US National Security Council delegation also called on Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal and discussed various matters of mutual relationships.

Ambassador of US to Pakistan, David Hail was also present in the meeting, says a statement issued here after the meeting.

During the meeting, Ahsan Iqbal said harmony in Pak-US relationship was vital for defeating terrorism in the region.

He said backbone of terrorism had been broken in Pakistan while the country wanted to develop sustainable peace in Afghanistan.

He said Pak-US knowledge corridor would help increasing educational capacity of students of Pakistan.

The minister also informed the delegation about measures taken by the government to stop human trafficking.