June 20, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 04, 1428

WASHINGTON, June 19: The domestic situation in Pakistan echoed in almost every meeting Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri held with US officials and lawmakers in Washington, some of them showing more interest than others in the move for democracy in an allied state.

His most significant meeting on Capitol Hill came on Tuesday afternoon when he met Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.

This was the first ever meeting between a Pakistani foreign minister and the speaker, which underlines the interest Ms Pelosi takes in Pakistan.

Congressional sources told Dawn that Ms Pelosi raised the issue of political unrest in Pakistan during her meeting with Mr Kasuri and also stressed the need to ensure the fairness of the forthcoming elections.

The sources said that there was no exchange of views between the two as both Ms Pelosi and Mr Kasuri spoke their positions and listened to each other patiently.

The situation in Pakistan also figured in Mr Kasuri’s meeting with Congressman Silvestre Reyes, who heads the powerful House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Since Mr Reyes had witnessed street protests during a recent visit to Pakistan, he asked Mr Kasuri if the protests still continued and the foreign minister had to acknowledge that they did.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton also asked about the domestic situation. So did Senator John Kerry, the former presidential candidate, reminding Mr Kasuri that the interest in what’s happening in Pakistan is more widespread than he had expected.

The foreign minister is expected to face more penetrating questions on Pakistan when he meets Congressman Tom Lantos, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Since March 9, when the current judicial and political crises began, several lawmakers have sent open letters to President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, urging them to ensure that full and unfettered democracy is restored in Pakistan.