Daily Times

NEW YORK: The US State Department issued a contradictory statement on the meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and US Secretary of State John Kerry after the PM’s media team concealed some important matters deliberately by issuing fragmentary handout about the meeting.

There is a lot of difference between the statements issued by the two sides. Earlier, a press release issued by the PM’s media team tried to give an impression that only the Kashmir issue was discussed in the meeting.

On the other hand, a press release issued by the State Department revealed that Kerry pressed Nawaz that Pakistan should not allow any element to its land against any country. He also urged the PM to take action against all such terrorists who are using Pakistani soil. Kerry also said that the Pakistani government was bound to stop the terrorists from making safe havens in the country.

He also urged the PM not to extend nuclear programme by saying that Pakistan should prevent its atomic programme. Whereas the PM’s media team did not mention it in its press release.

The State Department’s presser also read that Kerry admired Pakistan on hosting Afghan refugees. Both the leaders also agreed to take forward the bilateral ties, especially strategic relations.

It is an interesting aspect that soon after Nawaz arrived in New York his media team had announced that the PM would address the Pakistani community, but it failed to mention time and venue of the address. Even Pakistani community had no information about the address.

The local and international media is of the view that either the PM’s media team is committing blunders or what it did was part of a specific plan.