WASHINGTON – Pakistan Foreign Office and US State Department have lockedhorns over the issue of phone call between US Secretary of State MikePompeo and PM Imran Khan.

US State department spokesperson Heather Nauert on Thursday said they standby their readout on the phone call between Prime Minister Imran Khan and USSecretary of State Michael Pompeo.

“We stand by our readout,” Nauert said while responding to a questionduring her weekly press briefing.

“In the readout the secretary notes that he spoke with the new primeminister and expressed his willingness to work with the new governmenttoward a productive bilateral relationship. They had a good call,” she said.

“That may surprise some of you, but they had a good call. Pakistan is animportant partner to the United States. We hope to forge a good, productiveworking relationship with the new civilian government. My understanding isthat the beginning of the call or the call itself was a good call and agood discussion toward our working with the new government and the newadministration,” the US State Department spokesperson added.

A readout issued by the US State Department after the phone call had said:”Secretary Pompeo spoke today with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan andwished him success. Secretary Pompeo expressed his willingness to work withthe new government towards a productive bilateral relationship. SecretaryPompeo raised the importance of Pakistan taking decisive action against allterrorists operating in Pakistan and its vital role in promoting the Afghanpeace process.”

However, Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Thursday had rejected the statementby the US State Department.linklink

“Pakistan takes exception to the factually incorrect statement issued by USState Dept on today’s phone call between PM Khan & Sec Pompeo. There was nomention at all in the conversation about terrorists operating in Pakistan,”FO Spokespeson Dr Faisal tweeted.