Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells will arrive in Pakistan on January 19 for a three-day visit, the US State Department said.

The visit by Alice Wells is part of her 10-day visit to the region.

She will travel to Sri Lanka and India before her arrival in Pakistan.

In Islamabad, she will meet with senior Pakistani government officials and members of civil society.

Earlier, US State Department on Saturday had expressed concerns over the arrests of political leaders and residents and communication blackout in occupied Kashmir.

US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Alice Wells said, “We look forward to a return to normalcy in the valley.”

Wells’ visit to Pakistan comes on the heels of Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s visit to United States where he met with United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UN President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande.  On his trip, the foreign minister also exchanged views with US lawmakers on Pakistan-US bilateral relations and important regional matters of mutual interest, including Afghanistan peace process and Kashmir issue.

The foreign minister apprised them about the alarming situation in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and conveyed Pakistan’s serious concerns.

He held important meetings with the senior members of the US Senate, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, US Advisor on National Security and other important figures in the US administration.

On Jan 3, the U.S. Embassy has restricted travel by US government employees in view of “possible reactions to recent events in Iraq.”

“U.S. government personnel in Pakistan are required to postpone non-essential official movements and most personal movements.  U.S. citizens in Pakistan should monitor their surroundings for possible demonstrations and suspicious activity,” according to the advisory posted on the embassy’s site.  The US has also not yet restored security assistance for Pakistan.