Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani on Monday suggested that Prime Minister Imran Khan should not meet US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, who is scheduled to land in Pakistan tomorrow (Wednesday).

“US secretary of state’s meeting with PM Imran will be against protocol,” Rabbani said while speaking to the media.

Rabbani further said that Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi should meet the US secretary instead of the prime minister.

“The transcript of the telephonic conversation between PM Imran and Pompeo was made public and this is a new way of exerting pressure,” he said to support his stance.

Rabbani continued, “The US cancelled funds to Pakistan for a second time.” He added that the US was not paying for the expenses incurred on the war on terror. “Pakistan is not taking any aid from the US,” he asserted.

Last week, US Defence Secretary James Mattis confirmed Pompeo and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Joseph Dunford would visit Pakistan this week to meet PM Imran.

Speaking at a news briefing at the Pentagon, Mattis said Pompeo and General Dunford would meet with PM Imran and other Pakistani leaders to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries.

Tensions between US and Pakistan simmered after Islamabad rejected a statement by the US State Department regarding the contents of a phone call between Pompeo and PM Imran last week.

“Pakistan takes exception to the factually incorrect statement issued by US State Dept on today’s phone call between PM Imran and Secretary Pompeo. There was no mention at all in the conversation about terrorists operating in Pakistan,” FO spokesperson Dr Faisal had tweeted.

He also asked the US to “immediately correct” the statement.

The US State Department, however, indicated there would be no correction in response to Pakistan’s complaint.

Published in Daily Times, September 4^th 2018.