WASHINGTON, Jan 24: President Pervez Musharraf is expected to meet President George Bush at the White House on Feb 13, it was learnt here on Thursday.
The two leaders had met in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations special session in November last year , but this will be Gen Musharraf’s first trip as president of Pakistan to Washington and the White House. The general had also visited New York for the UN session in 2000.
It will signify formal US acceptance of the general, who was initially criticised for his military coup displacing the elected Nawaz Sharif government.
It will also mark an important step in Pakistan-US cooperation that has intensified since September 11 and Gen Musharraf’s decision to back the US-led “campaign against terrorism”.
As a prelude to his Washington visit, Gen Musharraf on Thursday reiterated that general elections would be held in October.
Gen Musharraf’s trip will be an “official working visit”. The two leaders will talk and then have lunch together. It is not yet known whether any formal agreements on economic or other aid will be signed during the visit, although there have been reports to that effect in sections of the Pakistani press.
Gen Musharraf is scheduled to arrive in Washington on Feb 12 and to leave for home on Feb 14. Details of the visit are being firmed up, but the general may meet Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and interact with Congressional leaders.
He is also scheduled to attend a Pakistani community dinner. Secretary of State Colin Powell was in Pakistan earlier this month, and there have been frequent telephonic contacts between US leaders and Gen Musharraf since the Sept 11 events.
There has been particular appreciation here of the speech given by Gen Musharraf in which he attacked religious extremism and outlined steps he intended to take against extremist organizations.
Afghan interim leader Hamid Karzai is due to meet President Bush in Washington on Monday.
