ISLAMABAD, Sept 27: Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali was due to leave in the early hours of Sunday on his first official visit to the US where he will meet US President George Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell.

A press release issued by the PM Secretariat claimed that the entourage is the smallest-ever for any prime minister, consisting of only 10 to 12 persons.

The prime minister’s visit is being watched more closely because of its symbolic value. Many Pakistani and American circles have interpreted it as a gesture of the United States to encourage democracy in Pakistan. It is believed that Washington wants to indicate through this visit that democracy remains an important component of American interest in Pakistan.

However, the visit entails a reasonably heavy agenda as well. Prime Minister Jamali’s meeting with President Bush will be followed by a lunch and a joint press conference.

According to official sources, the prime minister is also scheduled to meet Vice-President Dick Cheney, besides receiving US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Treasury Secretary John Snow.

Mr Jamali will also interact with members of various committees of the US Congress. He will also address a Chicago-based Council of Foreign Relations.

His other engagements include meetings with the Pakistani community in Washington and Chicago. He will also give interviews to several newspapers and networks, including The Washington Post and CNN.

This is also the first time that the president and the prime minister would be making a back-to-back visit to the same country within such a short time.