'US unlikely to change policy on Pakistan aid suspension'
There's unlikely to be any changes in US's policy on suspension of aid to Pakistan until it makes substantial progress against terrorists, the Trump administration has told Pakistan, as the two countries try to reset their strained ties. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton met Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi yesterday in Washington to discuss this.
The Qureshi-Pompeo meeting lasted for 20 minutes
The US officials have told the Pakistani leadership that US doesn't see any changes on the ground when it comes to taking actions against terrorists operating from its soil. Given Pakistan's influence over the Taliban, the Trump administration also wants Islamabad to bring them to the peace table. The Qureshi-Pompeo meeting is understood to have lasted for 20 minutes at their Foggy Bottom headquarters.
Qureshi, Pompeo appeared for handshake photo but no opening remarks
The White House normally does not issue a readout of the meeting that its National Security Advisor has with foreign leaders. Qureshi and Pompeo did appear for a hand-shake photo op before the meeting, during which they did not issue any opening remarks.
Qureshi had wide range of discussions with Pompeo, Bolton
According to sources, US is upset because of Qureshi's faux pas about handshake he had with President Trump during a luncheon in New York, which he described to the media as meeting. Meanwhile, in a readout of the meetings, the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington said Qureshi had a wide range of discussions with both Pompeo and Bolton which included bilateral and regional issues.
Pakistan, US share common desire for peace in Afghanistan: Qureshi
Qureshi said that close engagement between Pakistan and the US had always been mutually beneficial and a factor for stability in South Asia. He stressed that, going forward, a broad-based and structured framework for dialogue would best serve the two countries' shared interests. He also observed that Pakistan and the US share a common desire for peace in Afghanistan and the region at large.
US looking forward to work with Pakistan's new govt: Pompeo
Pompeo said the US looked forward to working with Pakistan's new government. "In the context of achieving stability in South Asia, Qureshi briefed his US interlocutor about India's aggressive posturing in the region," the readout said. "Qureshi underscored that, on its part, Pakistan remained committed to engaging India in a comprehensive peace dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues including the J&K dispute," it added.
Trump lashed out at Pakistan for harboring terrorists, canceled aid
The ties between the two countries strained after Trump, while announcing his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in August 2017, hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that killed Americans in Afghanistan. Last month, the Trump administration canceled $300 million in military aid to Islamabad for not doing enough against terror groups active on its soil.
