Daily Times

ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to the United States is expected next month as he is keen to attend the oath taking ceremony of president-elect Donald Trump, sources disclosed.

They also said Special Assistant to PM on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi is leaving for the US today (Sunday) to finalise the schedule of the visit. Fatemi would stay in Washington for 10 days and would meet the Trump team as well and discuss the ways to strengthen the bilateral ties between Pakistan and US. He would brief the team about the role Pakistan played in the war on terror and Pakistan’s policy towards Afghanistan and India.

Nawaz is said to have given him given special instructions. Fatemi would meet the US Congress members and Senate and seek their support and cooperation for better ties with the new US administration. The adviser would also meet the US think tank members and would brief them on Pakistan’s efforts for peace in the region. Fatemi would also highlight the Indian atrocities in Indian-held Kashmir and ceasefire violation by Indian security forces on Line of Control and Working Boundary, sources said.

Foreign Office is busy in finalising the schedule.

Separately, Pakistani-American supporter of Donald Trump, Sajid Tarar, has claimed that he was behind the telephonic contact between Trump and Nawaz.

In an interview with a private news channel, Tarar said that after contact between Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi he felt that a similar contact was needed with Nawaz.