WASHINGTON, June 6: The US and Pakistan are expected to sign a trade and investment framework agreement during President Pervez Musharraf’s forthcoming visit to the country, official sources told Dawn on Friday.

The framework agreement is the first step towards a free trade agreement and will enhance Pakistan’s exports to this country by giving it a better access to US markets, the sources said.

The details of this agreement will be worked out during the current visit of Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar to Washington.

The minister arrived in the US capital on Thursday on a week-long visit for talks with officials on boosting bilateral trade, Pakistan embassy officials said.

Mr Akhtar began his official engagements on Friday with a meeting with deputy national adviser to President Bush, Gary Edson, and Under-Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Alan Larson.

Later in the day, he also met US Commerce Secretary Donald Evans at the Department of Commerce.

On June 7, the commerce minister is meeting prominent Pakistani-American businessmen to encourage them to invest in their home country, the embassy said.