WASHINGTON – US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the electedcivilian government in Pakistan was the primary interlocutor betweenIslamabad and Washington, saying the two sides share a number of similarinterests.

He made the statements during a presser on Tuesday, reiterating that the USappreciates the longstanding cooperation with the South Asian nation.

Commenting on a query about Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s visit toWashington ahead of his retirement, he said General Bajwa called on seniorUS officials, including US Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman.

US state department spokesperson mentioned that security challenges arealways on the agenda when we have high-level engagements with our Pakistanicounterparts. He called it a standard practice, adding that we don’t delveinto the details of those engagements always.

Commenting on mismanagement of relief items, he said Washington was seriousabout reports of corruption and looting of relief items not only inPakistan but around the world where American taxpayer dollars wereimplicated.

We monitor and ensure that we have adequate tracking mechanisms in thiscontext,” he said, adding that the US government sends inspection teams tosuch areas to monitor the situation and one such team visited 10flood-affected areas in Balochistan last month.