Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is set to hold talks with Donald Trump on 22nd July to reboot bilateral ties that were hit after the U.S. president publicly criticised Islamabad, cancelled military aid and asked it to do more to fight terrorism.
Khan is scheduled to meet President Trump at the White House during which the American leadership is likely to press him to take “decisive and irreversible” actions against terrorist and militant groups operating from Pakistani soil and facilitate peace talks with the Taliban.
The cricketer-turned-politician arrived in Washington on 20th July, in the afternoon, aboard a commercial Qatar Airways flight and is staying at the official residence of the Pakistani Ambassador to the US, Asad Majeed Khan.
He was welcomed at the airport by his Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. A large number of Pakistani Americans also welcomed him.
Trump, in addition to a one-on-one meeting in the Oval Office, will host the visiting delegation over a working lunch at the White House on 22nd July. Khan is also scheduled to meet lawmakers at the U.S. Capitol Hill.
The relations between Pakistan and the U.S. have remained tense during Trump’s tenure. The U.S. president has publicly said that Pakistan has given us “nothing but lies and deceit” and also suspended security and other assistance to Pakistan for backing terror groups.
Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign had promised to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan and he knows it that this cannot happen without the co-operation from Pakistan.
Khan will be accompanied by Pakistan Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Faiz Hameed.
According to a senior Trump administration official, Trump and Khan will discuss a range of issues, including counterterrorism, defence, energy, and trade, with the overall goal of creating the conditions for a peaceful South Asia and an enduring partnership between the two countries.
The purpose of the visit is to press for concrete cooperation from Pakistan to advance the Afghanistan peace process and to encourage Pakistan to deepen and sustain its recent effort to crackdown on militants and terrorists within its territory, said the official.
“We also want to send a message to Pakistan that the door is open to repairing relations and building an enduring partnership if Pakistan changes its policies with regard to terrorists and militants,” the official said on 20th July.
Three of the top advisors of Trump would be missing the working luncheon due to their pre-scheduled travel. They included Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Advisor John Bolton and the Special U.S. Representative for Afghan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad.
During the meeting, Trump would also encourage Pakistan to create opportunities for enhancing regional economic development and connectivity.
Aparna Pande from the Hudson Institute think-tank said that a meeting between President Trump and Khan would not change
Aparna Pande said, “The U.S. has offered economic aid, military aid, major non-NATO ally status, even turned a blind eye to Pakistan’s nuclear programme in the hope that Pakistan would eventually feel secure and thus not look at India as a threat. That hasn’t happened.”
According to Pande, who is director of Hudson Institute’s Initiative on the Future of India and South Asia, the U.S. interests and Pakistan’s interests do not align at any level. She said, “The U.S. sees India as an ally and strategic partner and wants an India that plays a greater role in the global arena. Pakistan seeks to keep India tied down and wants parity.
Pakistan PM Imran Khan hold talks with US Prez Donald Trump to reboot bilateral ties
