ISLAMABAD, April 28: The Secretary-General of the 26-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato), Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, will visit Pakistan early next month for consultations with the top leadership on Afghanistan and security cooperation.

“The Nato secretary-general will be in Pakistan on a two-day official visit from May 7 to 8,” a diplomatic source told Dawn on Friday, adding that high on the agenda would be Afghanistan where Nato commands the 37-nation International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) that numbers 32,000 troops.

Significantly his visit will take place just a week after President Musharraf’s important meeting with his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai in Ankara.

During his stay in the capital, Secretary-General Scheffer will call on President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. He will also meet with foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri.

According to informed sources, discussions would focus on the common security challenges faced by Pakistan and Nato on the Afghanistan front with the presence of militants on both sides of the Durand Line. Emphasis during the talks would be on the need for a comprehensive strategy for success in Afghanistan that includes political, economic and military aspects, a senior official said. The Nato official is likely to offer military training and technical assistance to Pakistan, sources said.