Islamabad (September 05, 2018): US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Prime Minister Imran Khan at PM House on Wednesday.
According to the details, Prime Minister Imran Khan, during his meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Wednesday said that Pakistan looked forward to strengthening its relationship with the US based on trust and respect.
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The meeting, which took place at the PM House in Islamabad, also had Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Joseph Dunford, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and others in presence.
During the meeting, the prime minister said that his government’s agenda was focused on human development and poverty alleviation, for which peace and stability in the region was a pre-requisite, according to a statement issued by the PM House. He underscored his commitment to peace with all neighbours.
PM Khan also shared Pakistan’s perspective on the situation in the region and reiterated its desire for peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Secretary Pompeo congratulated the prime minister on forming the government.
The US secretary of state appreciated PM Khan’s agenda of socio-economic development and conveyed the desire of US administration to work with Pakistan to achieve common objectives of peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region.
According to details, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Prime Minister Imran Khan discussed Afghan peace process and blockage of $300 million in Coalition Support Fund (CSF) among other matters of mutual interest during a meeting in Islamabad.
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Sources said that the talks revolved around Pak-US ties and peace process in Afghanistan.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reached to US Consulate in Islamabad after the meeting.
Earlier, a delegation headed by United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday held meeting with Foreign Minister of Pakistan Shah Mehmood Qureshi at Foreign Office in Islamabad.
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During the meeting, the participants discussed ways to further strengthen Pakistan and US relations while they also held consultation over regional security.
FM Qureshi underscored the need to reset bilateral ties on the basis of mutual trust and respect, the FO said regarding the talks.
Safeguarding Pakistan’s national interests will remain supreme priority, it added.
Pompeo, who is accompanied by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford and a four-member delegation, was received by Qureshi upon reaching the Foreign Office from Nur Khan Airbase.
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The US Secretary of State and military chief General Joseph Dunford are in Pakistan on a one-day visit during which he will have crucial meeting with Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Pompeo will then travel to India where he will be joined by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to meet with their Indian counterpart on a range of key defense and trade issues.
Earlier this afternoon, Pompeo landed in Islamabad and was received by officials of the Foreign Ministry.
This is the first high-level visit from Washington since the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government assumed office.
Pompeo is also expected to call on Army Chief General Qamar Jawed Bajwa during his brief stay in the capital, diplomatic sources said.
He is due to visit India on the next stop of his South Asia tour where he is expected to pile pressure on New Delhi over its purchases of Iranian oil and Russian missile systems in talks with senior Indian officials.
Speaking to the media from his airplane en route to Islamabad, Pompeo said he hopes to reset the relations between the two countries.
“We hope that both countries could leave the past behind and begin to make progress,” Pompeo said.
#GenDunford just arrived in Islamabad #Pakistan to join @SecPompeo for meetings with senior government and military leaders.#GenDunfordTravels pic.twitter.com/ycHJwaqdA2
— The Joint Staff (@thejointstaff) September 5, 2018
“We will have three opportunities to walk through the complexity that is this relationship and hopefully begin to make some progress so that we can get back to set of common understandings. So that’s really the very straightforward objective,” the US secretary of state regarding his visit.
Pompeo also indicated that the Trump administration could release aid to Pakistan that was halted earlier this year.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hopes to reset the relations between the two countries.
“We hope that both countries could leave the past behind and begin to make progress,” Pompeo said while speaking to the media en route to Islamabad.
“We will have three opportunities to walk through the complexity that is this relationship and hopefully begin to make some progress so that we can get back to set of common understandings. So that’s really the very straightforward objective,” the US secretary of state regarding his visit.
Speaking to the media from the airplane, Pompeo also indicated that the Trump administration could release aid to Pakistan that was halted earlier this year.
“Pakistan was told this past summer that they weren’t likely to get that money,” the Secretary said.
Stating that the rationale for Pakistan not getting the money is very clear, he said, “It’s that we haven’t seen the progress that we need to see from them.”
“And the very reason for this trip is to try and articulate what it is our expectation is, the things that they can do, the things that they expect us to do, and see if we can’t find a path forward together,” he upheld.
Further, Pompeo stressed on Pakistan’s assistance and help to resolve issues related to stability in Afghanistan.
“We need Pakistan to seriously engage to help us get to the reconciliation we need in Afghanistan,” he said and mentioned General Nicholson and General Miller having the same opinion on the issue.
Pakistanis have “important interests, security interests in Afghanistan to make sure they get the issues at their border right, and we need their help”, Pompeo said.
He was also hopeful that his trip could convince the new government in Pakistan to provide the assistance for reconciliation in Afghanistan.
Pompeo said that the eventual result of working together could mean the aid to Pakistan could revive. “If that arises again, I am confident we’ll present to the US president the rationale for that, and then something like that might make sense,” the US secretary of state said.
US Foreign Minister Mike Pompeo and Military Chief, General Dunford are expected to meet Prime Minister Imran Khan during the visit. 
Pompeo is arrived in Islamabad days after the Trump administration cancelled USD 300 million in military aid to Pakistan as it was not doing enough against terrorist groups inside its borders, the latest controversy to hit Islamabad’s troubled relationship with Washington.
Pompeo will be in Islamabad ahead of the maiden 2+2 Dialogue between India and the US in New Delhi on September 6.
Earlier, US Defense Secretary, during a news briefing at Pentagon, said that US had permanent interests in South Asia and wanted to maintain a presence there to have influence in the region. He further added that US delegation and Pakistani officials will be deciding future ties in the meeting.
US Military Chief said that US wants to maintain diplomatic and security presence in South Asia.
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