Geopolitics
Governance/Geopolitics
Mike Pompeo visits Pakistan, meets PM Imran Khan

Bangladesh Live News | @banglalivenews | 05 Sep 2018, 06:01 pm Print

Mike Pompeo visits Pakistan, meets PM Imran Khan

Islamabad: Visiting Pakistan, US  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday.

Pakistan on Wednesday told the United States that mutual interests of the both the countries need to be considered in bilateral relations and that it would not bow down only for Washington's interests, diplomatic sources informed Geo News.

Diplomatic sources told the news channel US officials reiterated the demand of "do more" at the meeting, however, Pakistani leadership presented its stance in a comprehensive manner.

Pompeo will leave for India from Pakistan.

Pompeo also met Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi during the trip.

Speaking on the trip, Pompeo tweeted: "In #Pakistan with my colleague & friend CJCS Gen Joe Dunford. Today we met with PM @ImranKhanPTI & FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi to discuss our diplomatic & military to military relationship. @StateDept."

This was the first high-level visit from the US since Pakistan's new PM took oath last month.

Amid the toughening of the stand on Pakistan by the Donald Trump administration, the US military has declared that it will cancel the $300m (£230m) aid to the South Asian nation as the latter has failed to take action against militant groups operating from its soil.

"Due to a lack of Pakistani decisive actions in support of the South Asia Strategy the remaining $300 (million) was reprogrammed," Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Kone Faulkner said on Saturday.

Pentagon spokesperson Lt Col Koné Faulkner was quoted as saying that the US military would attempt to spend the money on other "urgent priorities".

The US State Department has accused Pakistan of failing to stop terror networks from working in their country including Haqqani network and the Afghan Taliban.

"We continue to press Pakistan to indiscriminately target all terrorist groups," Col Faulkner was quoted as saying, adding that the $300m aid - which had earlier been suspended - should be used elsewhere due to "a lack of Pakistani decisive actions" in tackling the issue.

Earlier in January, the US government announced it was scrapping almost all security aid to Pakistan.

The US has time again warned Pakistan against providing a safe haven to terror groups.

Pakistan has long been an ally of USA and especially since the United States declared a global war on terror in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks. However, Washington was always skeptical about the sincerity of Pakistan in combating terrorism.

Image: Secretary Pompeo Twitter page