Leaders discuss Pak-US ties
ISLAMABAD, July 18: A high-level meeting held at the Presidency on Wednesday discussed the security situation and Pakistan-US relations against the backdrop of restoration of Nato supplies and the issue of Coalition Support Fund (CSF).
The meeting, jointly chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, was attended by Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Khalid Shameem Wynne, Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Asif Sandila and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt.
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Secretary General to the President Salman Faruqui, Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani and Defence Secretary Nargis Sethi also attended the meeting President’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said security situation in the region was discussed at the meeting.
Meanwhile, military sources denied media reports that Gen Kayani, Gen Wynne and Director General of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) would soon visit the US.
A spokesman for the Inter Services Public Relations said: “There is no plan of CJCSC to visit to the US. As and when it happens it will be a bilateral visit and will have nothing to do with strategic dialogues.”
The spokesman said no decision had yet been taken by the government on the schedule of the strategic dialogue.
Also on Wednesday, Senate Standing Committee on Foreign and Kashmir Affairs welcomed the government’s decision about resumption of Nato supplies to Afghanistan.
The head of the committee, Haji Adeel, told journalists after a meeting that the government’s decision to allow Nato supplies through the country was right. “No country can live in isolation,” he said.
He said the world community had endorsed the government’s decision and the European Union had granted export concessions. Several Muslim countries, including Turkey, have also welcomed the decision.
Sources said the issue of CSF also came under discussion at the committee meeting.