News Desk |
On Thursday, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi announced that Prime Minister Imran Khan is likely to have a meeting with US President Donald Trump in the near-future.
Speaking with the press in the capital, Shah Mehmood Qureshi announced that Donald Trump has invited Prime Minister Imran Khan on an official visit to Washington. However, due to the ongoing budget session, the premier is unable to travel to the US.
Foreign Minister Qureshi informed that the two countries are working on finalizing the dates of this upcoming meeting between Imran Khan and Donald Trump.
Trump’s Desire to Meet Imran
Qureshi revealed that the US President intends to meet the Prime Minister of Pakistan to discuss “pressing regional issues”. Analysts believe that Washington wants Pakistan to play a more definitive role in the Afghan reconciliation process.
The US wants Pakistan to take more meaningful steps towards persuading the Taliban to hold a dialogue with the Kabul-led government, and show more flexibility towards US demands.
Sources reveal that the meeting between Prime Minister Imran Khan and US President Donald Trump is likely to take place in September, along the sidelines of the yearly session of the United Nations General Assembly, which will take the premier to Washington.
On 18th June, Naeem-ul-Haque, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs, revealed that Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to travel to the United States in the next two months.
Speaking to the media in Lahore, Naeem-ul-Haque added that in order to set an ample of austerity and avoiding unnecessary expenditures to the national exchequer, the Prime Minister has chosen to stay at the house of Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, Dr. Asad Majeed Khan.
Read more: Trump-Imran meeting possible after Afghan talks: Fawad
There have been speculations of a Trump-Imran meeting since January, and multiple officials from Islamabad and Washington have indicated that such a meeting will bring a positive impact for Washington’s efforts to broker a peace deal in Afghanistan.
Officials from Washington have recognized Pakistan’s efforts in facilitating an intra-Afghan dialogue and initiatives for a lasting peace in Afghanistan. However, the US wants Pakistan to take more meaningful steps towards persuading the Taliban to hold a dialogue with the Kabul-led government, and show more flexibility towards US demands.
Speaking to the press during his visit to Kabul, Mike Pompeo said, “Pakistan has a particularly important role to play in this process…Progress has been made. We will continue to look to Pakistan for practical measures, cooperation on peace talks and the implementation of any agreement,” reported VOA.
Read more: Will Trump and Imran Khan be meeting in 2019?
During his visit to Pakistan, US Senator Lindsey Graham stated that he was “blown away” after his meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan, and added that he would urge US President Donald Trump to meet with him too. Senator Graham also commended Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts and success in eradicating terrorism from its tribal belts.
US Senator Lindsey Graham (close to Trump) just gave a gushing press conf in Islamabad, praising Pakistan for acting against militants in tribal regions, and said he was “blown away” on meeting Imran Khan… big contrast from usual US rhetoric pic.twitter.com/1D7ccSJBXR
— Secunder Kermani (@SecKermani) January 20, 2019
Earlier in January, Donald Trump had cut off Pakistan’s $3 billion worth US aid, on grounds that Islamabad has not been “fair” in its relationship with the US. However, Trump had also expressed his desire to meet with the new leadership of Pakistan in the “not too distant” future.
Donald Trump is looking forward to meeting Imran Khan while bashing Pakistan once again.#DonaldTrump #ImranKhan #Pakistan #USA pic.twitter.com/FcldZkYvc4
— The Centrum Media (@thecentrummedia) January 3, 2019