PM, US Secretary of State discuss bilateral ties, regional situation
WASHINGTON, Oct 21: US Secretary of State John F. Kerry along with the
senior officials of the State Department called on Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz
Sharif here at the Blair House on Wednesday.
Recalling their long and cordial interaction over the years, they took stock of
recent developments in the relationship and stressed the need for continued high level
engagements on all issues of mutual interest.
The Prime Minister briefed Secretary Kerry on the important achievements of his
government over the last two years, especially in the economy and internal security
domain.
Secretary Kerry assured the Prime Minister of the continued US cooperation to
further enhance economic engagement between the two countries including in meeting
Pakistan's energy needs.
The two sides also discussed the situation of peace and security in the region
and it was agreed that terrorism posed a common challenge to the regional and global
security and reaffirmed their resolve to counter this challenge.
The Prime Minister informed the Secretary of State that the ongoing military
operation Zarb-e-Azb as well as the National Action Plan were achieving the desired
results in improving internal security and eliminating terrorism from Pakistan.
It was pointed out that the incidents of terrorism in Pakistan had significantly
reduced in recent weeks.
Secretary Kerry commended the significant gains achieved by Operation Zarb-eAzb which had decimated the terrorist organizations in the border region.
Appreciating the commitment of the Prime Minister to promoting peace and
security in the region, Secretary Kerry reaffirmed US support to work with Pakistan in
this shared objective.
He emphasized that Pakistan's role in taking the reconciliation forward was
critical to stabilizing Afghanistan.
It was further agreed that enhanced coordination amongst the regional countries
would be imperative, to address these emerging threats to international peace and
security.
Informing the US delegation about his peace initiative contained in his statement
at the recent session of the UN General Assembly, the Prime Minister underlined his
commitment to contribute towards promoting a peaceful South Asia.
The Prime Minister apprised Secretary Kerry of Pakistan's efforts to
improve relations with Afghanistan and reiterated his commitment to seek normalization
with India.
Secretary Kerry was briefed about the destabilizing role of Indian agencies in
FATA, Balochistan and Karachi.
Three separate dossiers containing evidence of the Indian involvement in
subversive activities were handed over to the US side, by Advisor to the Prime Minister
on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.
The Prime Minister was assisted by Finance Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar,
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Water and Power Minister Khawaja
Muhammad Asif, Advisor on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaz Aziz, Special
Assistant to the PM Tariq Fatemi, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry and
Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani.