US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Pakistan's new Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday and discussed ways to "reset" bilateral ties strained over the issue of Islamabad's support to the terror outfits active in the region and the blockage of USD 300 million in military aid to the country.
Pompeo, the former CIA chief who is making his first visit to Pakistan as the top American diplomat, told Khan that he was "pleased" with his meeting with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi earlier in the day.
Khan and Pompeo discussed Afghan peace process and blockage of USD 300 million in Coalition Support Fund (CSF) among other matters of mutual interests during a meeting which was also attended by Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the Express Tribune reported, citing sources.
"I'm a born optimist. A sportsman always is an optimist. He steps on the field and he thinks he's going to win," Khan said, referring to efforts by the US and Pakistan to improve their ties which has nose-dived in recent months.
This is the US' first high-level dialogue with Pakistan since the new government of Prime Minister Khan assumed office after the July 25 elections and comes days after the Trump administration cancelled USD 300 million in military aid to Islamabad for not doing enough against terror groups active on its soil.
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"In #Pakistan with my colleague & friend CJCS Gen Joe Dunford. Today we met with PM @ImranKhanPTI & FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi to discuss our diplomatic & military to military relationship" Pompeo tweeted.
Pompeo, who along with US Joint Chief of Staff Chairman General Joseph Dunford had arrived on an official visit to Pakistan, earlier met Qureshi and discussed "bilateral, regional and international issues" during their crucial talks, in a bid to reset the strained ties on basis of "mutual trust and respect".
"FM Qureshi underscores the need to reset bilateral ties on basis of mutual trust and respect. Safeguarding Pakistan's national interests will remain supreme priority," Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal tweeted.
The ties between the two countries strained after US President Donald Trump, while announcing his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in August last year, hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists.
He had also slammed Pakistan for its support to terror groups and warned Islamabad of consequences if it continues to do so.
In January, Trump suspended all military assistance to Pakistan accusing it of rewarding past assistance with "nothing but lies and deceit."
Earlier, sources had said that the situation in Afghanistan, talks with the Taliban, action against the Haqqani Network and other militant groups, issue of suspension of US aid and other bilateral and regional issues will be discussed.
The relation between the two "allies" are passing through a difficult period as the US is upset over what it calls lack of cooperation from Islamabad in eliminating militancy in Afghanistan.
The two sides publicly differed over what was discussed between Pompeo and Khan during a telephonic conversation.
Later, the US topped it by cancelling USD 300 million aid which Pakistan said was the money it already spent in the war on terror and Washington was bound to reimburse it as part of understanding between the two sides.
Talking to reporters travelling with him hours before landing in Pakistan, the Secretary of State said: "The rationale for them (Pakistan) not getting the money is very clear. It's that we haven't seen the progress that we need to see from them".
He defended the Trump administration's decision to cut USD 300 million aid to Pakistan, saying Islamabad did not make satisfactory progress in combatting terrorism.
"The very reason for this trip is to try and articulate what it is our expectation is, the things that they can do, the things that they expect us to do, and see if we can't find a path forward together," Pompeo said.
However, Pompeo said that this was not news for Pakistan.
"Look, this wasn't news to the Pakistanis. It made a lot of headlines over the last few days because of the formality... but they were told this past summer that they weren't likely to get that money.
"There are real expectations. We need Pakistan to seriously engage to help us get to the reconciliation we need in Afghanistan... They have important interests, security interests in Afghanistan to make sure they get the issues at their border right, and we need their help," he said.
Pompeo said he wanted to get there at the beginning of Khan's tenure in an effort to "reset the relationship" between the two countries.
"We have worked closely with the Pakistanis in my role as the CIA director. Our teams have been working together for a long time. There are lots of challenges between our two nations for sure, but we're hopeful that with the new leadership that we can find common ground and begin to work on some of our shared problems together. They have expressed good-faith intention to do so," the Secretary of State said.
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