WASHINGTON – Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi met US Vice PresidentMichael Pence on Friday to discuss finding a negotiated settlement to theconflict in Afghanistan, amid a peace offer extended by Afghan PresidentAshraf Ghani.
Although no official announcement was made regarding the unscheduledmeeting, sources privy to the developments said the one-on-one meeting tookplace at the vice president’s residence at the US Naval Observatory.
The meeting that lasted for 30-minute was reportedly held on Pakistan’srequest where only Michael Cutrone, special adviser to Vice President Pencefor South Asian Affairs, was present as a note-taker.
No US or Pakistani official accompanied the two leaders at this meeting andboth sides explained their perspectives on Afghanistan.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi assured Mr Pence of Pakistan’s ‘sincere commitment’ toefforts for peace in Afghanistan and also underlined ‘Pakistan’s successes’in the war against terrorism, Dawn News reported, citing the sources.
The prime minister also had a 40-minute meeting with Congressman Ted Yoho,chairman of the House Committee on Asia and the Pacific, and its rankingDemocrat, Congressman Brad Sherman.
Like their boss, the US lawmakers also focused on the current situation inAfghanistan and expressed ‘their concern about China’s growing influence inPakistan’, said highly-placed sources.
Moreover, besides discussion on cementing bilateral relations, the twolawmakers conveyed their concern about blasphemy cases against Christiansin Pakistan, the sources added.
Political commentators view the Pence-Abbasi meeting as a continuation oftheir talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York lastyear.
At that Sept 20 meeting, the two allies, who maintain hot and coldrelations sporadically, had resolved to remain engaged and carry forwardthe relationship.
The Pak-US ties turned sour since the announcement of the US policy forAfghanistan and South Asia in August 2017 with the devasting blow comingout in January as Donald Trump announced the suspension of aid to Pakistan.
Official sources in Washington said that the desire to continue thebilateral relationship was expressed at Abbasi-Pence meeting.
It is noteworthy that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had offeredunconditional dialogue with Taliban, offering the latter to open an officein Kabul, last month.
Moreover, Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Nasser Khan Janjua has beeninvited by Afghan counterpart on Saturday (today) where the high-levelofficial would call on NDS chief and Afghan President Ghani to look forways for durable peace in the war-ravaged Afghanistan.