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Visits By Foreign Leaders of Pakistan

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The US deputy secretary of state, Wendy Sherman, meets Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Islamabad.

Biden administration delivers brusque message to Pakistan

With relations frosty over Taliban victory and Pakistani repression, deputy secretary of state visits for ‘specific and narrow purpose’

A senior US official visiting Islamabad has made clear to Pakistan that the Biden administration has downgraded the bilateral relationship.

On the eve of her arrival, the deputy secretary of state, Wendy Sherman, used a public event in Mumbai to lay out in blunt terms the new parameters of US-Pakistan relations, stressing there would be no equivalence with Washington’s deepening ties to India.

The Islamabad trip was for “a very specific and narrow purpose”, Sherman said, to talk about Afghanistan and the Taliban.

“We don’t see ourselves building a broad relationship with Pakistan, and we have no interest in returning to the days of hyphenated India-Pakistan,” she added. “That’s not where we are. That’s not where we’re going to be.”

Sherman’s reception in Pakistan the next day was stilted. Senior Pakistan government officials told the Guardian that there was diplomatic tension between the two countries that needed to be resolved and that prime minister Imran Khan was angry that he had still not received a phone call from Joe Biden.

However, Fawad Chaudhry, the information minister, said that the talks with Sherman had gone well. “I think she spoke very warmly in Pakistan and she has understood Pakistan’s point of view,” Chaudhry said.

Biden sets great store by his personal relations with world leaders, and in his speech marking the completion of the military withdrawal from Afghanistan on 31 August the president said the new emphasis would be on regional diplomacy. In that context, the decision not to call is intended to be an unambiguous signal of Washington’s displeasure with Khan’s attitude to Afghanistan.

Khan described the Taliban takeover as “breaking the chains of slavery”. The US wants Pakistan to maintain international solidarity in withholding recognition of the Taliban while pressing for women’s rights and other democratic principles.

The cold approach has come as a shock to Islamabad, which had been accustomed to Trump’s informal and personal relationship with Khan.

In a recent leaked memo, the foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, urged the Pakistani embassy in Washington to get a call arranged between Biden and Khan.

“In spite of the existing situation in Afghanistan, and the key role played by Pakistan, it is unfortunate that the White House remains indifferent to the Pakistani leadership,” the letter said, blaming “the immature understanding of the White House staff”.

“You are thus expected to take adequate measures, ensuring that enough diplomatic steps are taken to guarantee the strategic relevance of Pakistan in all diplomatic forums.”

The foreign minister and the US state department insisted the letter was a fake but official sources said it was authentic.

Asked about the absence of a presidential phone call to Khan, the White House said it had nothing to add to non-committal remarks by the press secretary, Jen Psaki, in late September when she said she didn’t “have anything to predict at this point in time”.

Pakistan has been long accused of playing a double game in the fight against terrorism, on one hand being a supposed ally in the US “war on terror” while also supporting and sponsoring the Taliban, and allowing them to live and regroup on Pakistan soil.

Cyril Almeida, a columnist and analyst, said: “Since 9/11, the US has seen Pakistan through an Afghan prism. Now that Pakistan is perceived to have won another proxy war against a superpower in Afghanistan, the superpower appears to be in no mood to forgive or forget.”

The issue is urgent for Pakistan, which is anxious to get flows of humanitarian aid going across the border and forestall a complete collapse in Afghanistan which would lead to a huge, destabilising influx of refugees.

“Pakistan is desperate to move on from the past and let bygones be bygones and wants to broaden out its relationship and focus on geo-economics, but from Washington’s standpoint, Afghanistan is going to continue to dominate its interests in the region for the foreseeable future,” Elizabeth Threlkeld, the director of the South Asia programme at the Stimson Center, said.

Since the Taliban came into power in mid-August, Pakistan has been publicly talking about the future recognition of the Taliban government, which has close ties to Pakistan’s powerful military intelligence services, the ISI.

Last week, in an interview with the Turkish-state affiliated TRT World, Khan said the United States will “sooner or later” have to recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

There is a fear among western countries and diplomats that Pakistan may recognise the Taliban new government and undermine international efforts to pressure the Taliban into making assurances about human rights, security and the freedoms of women. A report published in Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper, quoting the US sources, reported that the United States does not want Pakistan to recognise the Taliban regime before the rest of the international community.

Almeida said it has not helped that, since the collapse of the Afghan government and the takeover by the Taliban, Pakistan has been seen to be earnestly pleading the group’s case to the world as well as making it very public that it is playing a role in helping establish the new Taliban cabinet.

Zahid Hussain, the author of No-Win War: the Paradox of US-Pakistan Relations in Afghanistan’s Shadow, said that relations were at their lowest ebb. “There is lack of hope that the relations will get better, as the things are not moving towards rapprochement between both countries. Today, we don’t see the strategic relations between the US-Pakistan – it is only a transactional relation now,” he said.

In contrast to the Trump administration, the Biden administration has been more focused on promoting democracy and human rights globally and many believe that Biden will eventually press the Pakistan premier on the human rights abuses and censorship of the media that have become rampant in Pakistan .

A US state department report published in 2021 had a detailed and damning chapter on the human rights violations in Pakistan. The chapter portrayed a bleak situation in Pakistan in terms of issues such as human rights abuses, suppression of freedom of speech, marginalisation of women and minorities in Pakistan.

However, senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, a former committee head of human rights in the senate of Pakistan, said that while the US had been “silent for a long time when it involves democracy and human rights violation”, the Biden administration could play a crucial role in holding Khan’s administration to account.

“It can be damaging for Pakistan,” said Khokhar. “The current Khan regime is known for the suppression of free speech and democratic norms. We think Biden will go hard on Pakistan.”

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FACT SHEET: The United States and Pakistan – a Strong and Enduring Relationship

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama hosted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and First Lady Kalsoom Nawaz Sharif at the White House on October 22, 2015.  Their visit reinforced the commitment of both leaders to an enduring U.S.-Pakistan partnership, a prosperous Pakistan, and a more stable region.  The two leaders expressed their conviction that a resilient U.S.-Pakistan partnership is vital to regional and global security and reaffirmed their commitment to address evolving challenges in South Asia and beyond.  Since enactment of the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009 (“Kerry-Lugar-Berman” or “KLB”), the United States has committed $5 billion in civilian assistance to Pakistan and over $1 billion in emergency humanitarian response to disasters and conflict, including for 2010 flood relief.  Security assistance has also strengthened cooperation on key national security interests.  Building on KLB, the leaders committed to fostering a deeper, stronger, more multi-dimensional partnership to cooperatively tackle the global challenges of the 21st century.  The leaders highlighted the following areas of U.S. cooperation:

Energy and Economic Growth

Energy: Since 2009, the U.S. Government helped add approximately 1,700 megawatts (MW) of electricity to Pakistan’s grid system, benefitting nearly 19 million Pakistanis.  U.S. assistance funded the construction and rehabilitation of a number of hydropower dams and thermal power plants.  U.S. assistance has also helped Pakistan improve governance and management systems, and increase revenue collection – by over $200 million in 2015– as well as provide commercial opportunities for U.S. businesses.  Efforts also include Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) debt financing and political risk insurance that support U.S. investments in Pakistan.  Additionally, U.S. business played an important role in facilitating Pakistan’s access to international liquefied natural gas (LNG) markets earlier this year.  The new U.S.-Pakistan Clean Energy Partnership (USCEP) will help the private sector add at least 3,000 MW of clean power generation infrastructure to Pakistan’s national electricity system over the next five years.

Bilateral Trade and Investment :  The United States and Pakistan will expand cooperation on the 2013 Joint Action Plan on Trade and Investment.  The United States remains Pakistan’s largest bilateral export market and a significant source of foreign direct investment.  In March 2015, during U.S.-Pakistan Economic Partnership Week , the first U.S.-Pakistan Business Opportunities Conference held in Islamabad was headlined by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and Pakistani Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. To promote private investment, OPIC has facilitated $800 million in financing and insurance for projects in Pakistan.  Trade and investment assistance is provided under the bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA). 

Regional Connectivity : To facilitate Pakistan’s regional trade efforts and in support of our shared security objectives, the United States has funded the construction and rehabilitation of approximately 1,000 kilometers of roads, including major trade routes between Pakistan and Afghanistan.  The United States supports implementation of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement and anticipates collaboration with Pakistan upon its accession to the Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR) Convention.  The United States has contributed $15 million to date to the development of the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA-1000) project, which will transmit 1300 MW of electricity from Central Asia to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and supports the CASA-1000 Secretariat. 

Private Sector Financing and Entrepreneurship:   The United States assists Pakistan’s small and medium enterprises, catalysts of its economic growth.  At the U.S.-Pakistan Business Opportunities Conference in March 2015, Pakistani partner banks committed to provide up to $60 million in financing for businesses under the U.S.-Pakistan Partnership for Access to Credit , The U.S.-financed Pakistan Private Investment Initiative (PPII), a set of three investment funds that are matching U.S. funding one-to-one with private equity capital, will make over $150 million in financing available for small businesses. The U.S. Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) initiative provides training and resources and sponsors a global pitch competition, GIST Tech-I, where a female Pakistani scientist won for the best healthcare startup.     

Agriculture:   U.S. assistance has increased incomes for more than 800,000 farm households; increased sales by nearly $145 million; irrigated over 480,000 acres of land; facilitated nearly $57 million in exports of targeted commodities; and helped nearly 147,000 farmers and others apply improved technologies.  Forthcoming U.S. support will help producers and processors increase export sales by $250 million and leverage over $180 million in private sector investment.

Support in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA):  The United States and Pakistan are committed to strengthening governance, expanding development, and facilitating the voluntary return of 1.6 million displaced persons to the FATA.  During Secretary Kerry’s January 2015 visit to Pakistan , he pledged $250 million to assist in the relief, recovery, and rehabilitation of the region.  The United States continues to partner with Pakistan to reconstruct schools, hospitals, and infrastructure to restore communities and assist in the return of people to their homes.

Women’s Economic Advancement :  Women’s economic participation in Pakistan is advanced through the U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council , established in 2012 by the State Department and American University (AU) in cooperation with Pakistani-Americans, and a 2014 U.S. – Pakistan MOU to Enable Women’s Economic Empowerment and Entrepreneurship.  The United States also sponsored the opening of the WECREATE Center in Islamabad, which works with women entrepreneurs in Pakistan.  The Council also established a university partnership in women’s entrepreneurship between AU and the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS).  Joint trade missions, U.S. Department of Commerce business and trade capacity building, and new initiatives led by the Council’s corporate members also seek to increase women’s entrepreneurship and employment.  The USAID Gender Equity Program promotes women’s access to information, justice, and economic opportunities and helps address and prevent gender-based violence. 

Education, Health, and Civil Society Cooperation

People-to-People Exchanges:   Approximately 1,200 Pakistanis came to the United States on U.S.-funded exchange programs in 2014.  There are more than 15,000 Pakistani alumni of U.S.-funded exchange programs, with many involved in the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network, which has 12 chapters throughout Pakistan.  These alumni create important intellectual and business links between U.S. and Pakistani institutions. 

Higher Education: Pakistan is the recipient of the largest U.S. government funded Fulbright Program in the world.  Since 2009, the Fulbright Program has funded over 800 Masters and 200 PhD candidates and nearly 100 Senior Scholars from Pakistan.  The United States has also funded the Merit and Needs Based Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to talented but under resourced candidates to attend university in Pakistan, with over 40 percent awarded to women.  Through several programs, the United States has funded over 12,000 total scholarships for underprivileged students to attend university in Pakistan, 50 percent to women, and financed a new dormitory for women at Forman’s Christian College in Lahore.

Science and Technology Agreement:  Since 2003, the bilateral U.S.-Pakistan Science and Technology (S&T) Cooperation Agreement has provided a framework to increase cooperation in science, technology, engineering, and education.  In 2005, USAID, Pakistan’s Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Higher Education Commission launched the associated S&T Cooperation Program, which jointly funded nearly $34 million in collaborative research projects.  This year, the United States and Pakistan intend to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for the seventh S&T Cooperation Program, which would funding a new phase of joint grants to enhance U.S.-Pakistan collaboration, research capacity in Pakistani universities, and S&T innovation. 

University Partnerships:   The United States funds 23 partnerships between Pakistani and U.S. universities to facilitate professional development for faculty, curriculum reform, joint research, and peer-to-peer interaction.  In June 2015, USAID, in collaboration with Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission, launched the U.S.-Pakistan Centers for Advanced Studies , which established three centers in Pakistan through partnerships between four Pakistani and three U.S. universities in energy, water, and agriculture and food security.  The purpose of the centers is to foster long-term research collaboration, industry linkages and innovation, and university governance, prepare approximately 1,000 Pakistani graduates for employment, and provide scholarships.

University Governance: The Community College Administrator Program will enable Pakistanis in higher education to travel to the United States to learn about the U.S. community college system, building on the Community College Initiative Program , which enables Pakistani students to study and earn a professional certificate at a U.S. community college. 

Basic Education:   Under a U.S.-Pakistan Basic Education Initiative, the United States is funding reading programs to improve the reading skills of 1.9 million primary grade students.  Since 2002, the United States and Pakistan have developed degree programs for education professionals.  The United States is funding the construction of state-of-the-art Faculty of Education buildings at 16 universities.  USAID has helped rebuild or renovate almost 1,000 schools since 2009.  The United States has also provided English language training to 9,400 underprivileged Pakistani teenagers countrywide. 

Let Girls Learn:   Through Let Girls Learn , the United States, Pakistan, and other partners will help educate and empower more than 200,000 additional adolescent girls across Pakistan.  These efforts, which will also reduce barriers to girls’ success and address harmful practices and attitudes, will be enhanced through collaboration with other donors and the diaspora community, as well as through public-private partnerships such as the U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council Summer Sisters program, which brings underprivileged Pakistani high school girls to explore education and career options at top U.S. universities. 

English Language Programs:   The United States partners with a range of Pakistani institutions in English language teaching and learning.  Investing in teachers has a tremendous multiplier effect, directly reaching an average of 450 individuals each year and thousands more from expanded teaching capacity.  The English Access Microscholarship Program has provided two years of after-school English language instruction to more than 10,000 Pakistani adolescents from disadvantaged backgrounds since 2007.  

Civil Society and Democratic Institutions:   The United States works with civil society organizations to strengthen human rights, advance rule of law reforms, combat intolerance, strengthen civil society, enhance media capacity, and safeguard media autonomy.  U.S. assistance includes: support for legal aid centers for vulnerable populations, strengthening university journalism programs for media professionals, and enhancing the skills of provincial women parliamentarians.  USAID programs have helped register more than 350,000 women with the National Database and Registration Authority and enabled 100 citizen committees with oversight roles, and integrated grassroots ideas into party platforms, with some becoming law. 

Health Cooperation:  The United States and Pakistan cooperate extensively in the health sector to support family welfare and reproductive health.  Since 2010, USAID has trained over 29,000 health care workers, who served over 3.5 million community members throughout Pakistan.  Among program beneficiaries assessed in 2014, USAID-funded trainings and other activities resulted in a 52 percent increase in prenatal care visits and a 20 percent increase in deliveries with a skilled birth attendant. The United States and Pakistan also support the multilateral Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats.  To implement the GHSA and promote Pakistan’s health sector, the United States will support Pakistan’s efforts to: build capacity in the public and veterinary health workforce, advance an effective, safe, and secure laboratory system, counter antimicrobial resistance, integrate health surveillance information systems, and enhance multi-sectoral emergency response capability for epidemic threats.

Countering Evolving Threats

Civilian Law Enforcement and Rule of Law:   Through training, equipment, and infrastructure assistance, the United States supports Pakistan’s efforts to enhance civilian law enforcement and justice institutions’ response to serious crime and terrorism.  The United States has trained over 17,000 provincial and federal law enforcement personnel since 2001, including women law enforcement units.  The United States and Pakistan have also worked closely to address the needs of Pakistan’s judiciary, prosecution services, and corrections system.  Since 2009, the United States has sponsored exchanges and provided training for over 1,000 Pakistani prosecutors and 212 judges and trained over 130 corrections and policy officials since 2012.  The U.S. counter-narcotics efforts support interdiction, demand reduction, and crop control.

Security Assistance:   The United States and Pakistan enjoy a positive security partnership and are working collaboratively to address security threats that both of our nations face.  Through security assistance, the United States has enhanced Pakistan’s capabilities to address its counterterrorism and counterinsurgency challenges in the FATA.  The United States has provided Pakistan with critical equipment and training to enhance key counterinsurgency and counterterrorism capabilities such as precision strike, air mobility, and counter improvised explosive devices.  Assistance has also supported Pakistan’s participation in international maritime coalition operations and enhanced its ability to patrol its coastal waters. 

Military Training and Exchanges: The United States provides Pakistan’s military with training to promote regional stability, strengthen its counterterrorism and defense capabilities, enhance professionalism, promote human rights, and improve civilian-military relations.  Since 2009, the United States has trained over 2,300 members of the Pakistan military.  Pakistan is the largest partner for U.S. International Military Education and Training funding in the world.  In addition, the United States and Pakistan conduct military staff exchanges and joint training exercises to enhance coordination and interoperability between our militaries.

Countering Violent Extremism:  The United States works with Pakistani civil society and nongovernmental organizations to foster a stable Pakistan, increase capacity to counter violent extremist narratives, and reduce the number of individuals in Pakistan who accept the legitimacy of narratives that justify the use of violence.  Programs focus on vulnerable populations and include documentary films, interfaith dialogues, and madrassa training. More than 11,000 imams and teachers in over 2,600 madrassas received training in interfaith harmony and peacebuilding. 

Improvised Explosive Devices:  In partnership with the United States, Pakistan has taken positive steps over the past two years to increase its controls and interdiction of the illicit supply of materials used to produce improvised explosive devices.  Through U.S. security assistance programs coordinated by the Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Agency, the United States and Pakistan share technical expertise and equipment to improve Pakistan’s ability to detect and defeat these devices. 

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President's Visit to India and Pakistan

President's Visit to Pakistan

A Pakistan cavalry honor guard welcomes President George W. Bush to Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, March 4, 2006.

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Ronald Reagan

Remarks at the welcoming ceremony for president mohammad zia-ul-haq of pakistan.

President Reagan. Mr. President, Begum Zia, it's a great pleasure for Nancy and me to welcome you to Washington today. Your visit to the United States this week both symbolizes and strengthens the close ties which exist between our two countries.

As you arrive here, the world, and your region in particular, are passing through a critical phase. We confront serious challenges that by choice and necessity will draw our peoples ever closer. It's vital that those nations committed to peace and progress work diligently together to achieve those goals.

One of Pakistan's founding fathers, Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan, visited Washington in 1950. And speaking before the United States Senate, he described our continuing challenge. He said, "This is the century of great awakenings in all parts of the globe. And it depends entirely on the leaders of the world whether mankind will awaken to the horrors of darkness or to a glorious dawn." Well, his words ring true even now.

Pakistan today stands in the front rank of the nations shouldering a great responsibility for mankind. Your courageous and compassionate role in giving shelter to millions of Afghan refugees is well known to the American people and will long be remembered. We're proud to stand with you, Mr. President, helping to provide for these tragic victims of aggression, while, at the same time, seeking a peaceful resolution of the circumstances which brought them to your country.

We also applaud your efforts and those of the Indian Government to reconcile your differences. The steps you take today to deter these relations will bring incalculable benefit to all the people of the sub-continent and will be memorialized in improvement of their lives.

Similarly, Pakistan's positive response to peace efforts in the Middle East have contributed to our confidence that our two countries can work together for peace and stability. After many years of disappointment, there is growing recognition in the Middle East that a continuation of violence can only breed a worsening conflict. This cycle must be broken. We're gratified to know that we can count on Pakistan's cooperation in confronting these perplexing problems.

We believe that the program of economic and security assistance on which we embarked last year will contribute to the tranquility and progress of the entire region, and it's our hope that reinvigoration of the relationship between our two countries will enable Pakistan to maintain its courageous stand on behalf of peace and amity of nations.

The United States-Pakistani friendship, which stretches back over 30 years, has been tested by time and change. It has endured, and, because of the substantial agreement between us on the great issues of peace, development, and security, it grows stronger daily.

Underlying our ties, however, is something which is even more critical in an enduring relationship and that is the warmth and understanding that exist between the people of our countries. This friendship is based on the mutual warmth and affection which have developed between our people, something which no government can mandate and which is indeed a cherished possession.

When you leave us and leave the United States next week, Mr. President, we want you to return home secure in the knowledge that the American people support close ties with Pakistan and look forward to expanding them in the coming years. We hope the friendship and hospitality that you receive during your stay will underline our good will and the permanence of our bond.

Mr. President, Begum Zia, welcome to the United States.

President Zia. In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and blessing and peace be upon the seal of the last of the prophets.

Mr. President, Mrs. Reagan, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:

Sir, may I thank you most sincerely for your very kind words of welcome, for the warmth with which we have been received, and the generous hospitality that has already been extended to me, my wife, and the members of my delegation since we arrived in your great country.

Mr. President, I am no stranger to the United States. I've had the honor of coming here a few times before. But each time I have felt that it was a new experience for me. Perhaps this is because of the perpetual freshness, the vibrant dynamism, and the ceaseless, forward movement which characterize this great nation of yours.

My visit this time, Mr. President, is not just one of discovery or rediscovery. I take it as one of my—as a visit of great importance for renewal and reaffirmation: renewal of a friendship that has to us many ups and downs, and reaffirmation of those shared values and perceptions on which our relationship is based. I, therefore, look forward to the strengthening of our ties as the years go by.

Mr. President, west and southwest Asia, from the eastern Mediterranean to Afghanistan, is today in ferment. Armed aggression, military intervention, conflicts, disregards for universally accepted principles of international conduct have all combined to present a serious challenge to the security of the countries of this region. This in turn threatens to undermine the whole structure of the international relations upon which the peace of the world ultimately rests.

Mr. President, sir, Pakistan's continued commitment to the principle of nonalignment and to the objectives of the Islamic Conference are the fundamental postulates of its foreign policy. Pakistan is endeavoring to contribute effectively to the peace and stability of a troubled and turbulent region. But we cannot ourselves long remain immune from the dangers around us, Mr. President, nor have we in fact escaped their consequences.

The responsibility for providing refuge and a safe haven for nearly 3 million fleeing the repression in Afghanistan has been shouldered by our people as a humanitarian duty in the spirit of Islamic brotherhood. Nevertheless, the burdens are there, especially for a developing country like Pakistan.

But at the same time I must emphasize that we have borne these burdens ungrudgingly, and we will continue to do so, enshallah. We are conscious of the security implications of the great developments across our border. The qualitative change brought about by these developments and their impact on the entire region have evoked a response from the United States, which, Mr. President, we appreciate.

It was as a result of our common concern that our two governments decided on a program to enhance Pakistan's potential to withstand external forces of disruption and continue to play a stabilizing role in the region.

Mr. President, sir, it's our consistent endeavor to find equitable and humane solutions to the conflicts in our region. This task can only be accomplished through negotiation and mutual accommodation within the framework of the principles and resolutions of the United Nations. It must also inevitably entail the proper regard for the individual and collective dignity of the peoples involved.

In this endeavor, we have been fortunate, Mr. President, to have your understanding. What is more, sir, I claim that we have your friendship as well—a friendship mature enough to withstand differences of opinion and mirrored by the very candor and sincerity of our mutual exchanges. For all this, sir, we're indeed very grateful to you.

Mr. President, I have come here to deepen and strengthen this friendship. I'm looking forward to our talks later this morning. And I have no doubt that they will lead us to this goal and that our respective efforts on behalf of peace and stability in our region and in the world in general, enshallab, shall bear fruit. Indeed, Mr. President, borrowing your own words, it will be in the fitness of the things for me to conclude by saying, sir, that you and I have a rendezvous with destiny.

I thank you.

Note: President Reagan spoke at 10:15 a.m. on the South Lawn of the White House, where President Zia was accorded a formal welcome with full military honors.

Following the ceremony, the two Presidents met privately in the Oval Office. They then joined their delegations in the Cabinet Room for further discussions.

Ronald Reagan, Remarks at the Welcoming Ceremony for President Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq of Pakistan Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/246006

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Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Richard Chang

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Kanishka Singh is a breaking news reporter for Reuters in Washington DC, who primarily covers US politics and national affairs in his current role. His past breaking news coverage has spanned across a range of topics like the Black Lives Matter movement; the US elections; the 2021 Capitol riots and their follow up probes; the Brexit deal; US-China trade tensions; the NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan; the COVID-19 pandemic; and a 2019 Supreme Court verdict on a religious dispute site in his native India.

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Khan accused Washington of conspiring with the Pakistani political opposition to remove him from office, saying US President Joe Biden’s administration was upset over his “independent” approach to foreign policy and a visit to Moscow that coincided with the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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What does imran khan’s removal mean for pakistan what does imran khan’s removal mean for ..., pakistan military rejects khan’s claim us conspired to remove him pakistan military rejects khan’s claim ..., is pakistani pm shehbaz sharif up for his new job is pakistani pm shehbaz sharif up for ....

“This narrative is not novel. It is a well-rehearsed one in Pakistani public discourse,” Ayesha Jalal, a history professor at Tufts University in the US, told Al Jazeera. “It’s the kind of claim you make when you’re in trouble domestically. We call it, seeing your troubles as gifts from abroad.”

But while experts say that Khan’s allegations of a foreign plot against him are unproven and largely politically motivated, they nevertheless highlight longstanding tensions in the US-Pakistan relationship that the premier’s successor, Shehbaz Sharif , will have to address.

“I’m sure the new prime minister and his staff and the military top brass will be very keen to repair relations,” said Jalal, referring to the effect of Khan’s allegations. “I think that would be very much on top of the agenda.”

‘Longstanding cooperation’

Sharif, of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party, was sworn in on Monday after Khan lost a no-confidence vote in the Pakistani parliament, where he had failed to retain a majority amid criticism over a worsening economic crisis and allegations of mismanagement .

Sharif has pledged to rebuild the economy and “to keep building relationships with other countries on the basis of mutual respect, equality & peace”, he said in a tweet.

On Wednesday evening, Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Sharif for becoming Pakistan’s prime minister and said Washington looked forward to continuing its “longstanding cooperation with Pakistan’s government”.

“The United States views a strong, prosperous, and democratic Pakistan as essential for the interests of both of our countries,” Blinken said in a statement.

We also look forward to keep building relationships with other countries on the basis of mutual respect, equality & peace. — Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) April 11, 2022

But the perception in Pakistan has been that the Biden administration, which took office in January of last year, does not see the country as a priority amid other areas of focus, namely US competition with China and more recently, the war in Ukraine.

Political analysts have described US-Pakistan ties over the past decades as “transactional”, with Washington seeking Islamabad’s support on regional security matters – most prominently, Afghanistan – in exchange for financial assistance. But the relationship has not always been easy.

American officials have accused their Pakistani counterparts of not doing enough to tackle “terrorism” and of harbouring armed groups, including the Taliban. Pakistan at times has been equally angered, denouncing US drone attacks and saying the country had paid “a very high price” for backing the US in Afghanistan.

Madiha Afzal, a fellow in the foreign policy programme at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC, said the relationship hit a low point in 2018, before Khan took office, when then-President Donald Trump cut security assistance to Pakistan.

But “a very public reset” took place the following year when Khan met Trump at the White House, she said. By that point, Pakistan was playing an important role in talks between the Trump administration and the Taliban to reach an agreement to end the war in Afghanistan.

“Towards the end of 2020, once President Biden was elected and the withdrawal from Afghanistan was imminent, Pakistan pitched a geo-economics-based relationship with the US,” Afzal told Al Jazeera, explaining that Khan had hoped Washington would begin viewing Islamabad beyond the lens of Afghanistan alone.

In an interview with the New York Times published in June of last year, Khan said he wanted Pakistan to have a “civilised” and “even-handed” relationship with the US after the Afghanistan withdrawal, which was completed at the end of August. That meant deepening economic opportunities, among other things.

“You know, unfortunately, the relationship was a bit lopsided during this War on Terror,” Khan told the newspaper. “It was a lopsided relationship because [the] US felt that they were giving aid to Pakistan, they felt that Pakistan then had to do US’s bidding.”

But Afzal said the Biden administration so far has not taken Pakistan up on its pitch. “The US-Pakistan relationship for the last 14, 15 months has now been characterised by a cold shoulder by the Biden administration to the Khan government,” she said, pointing to swirling questions over why Biden did not call Khan after moving into the White House as one example.

“Now that [the US has] left Afghanistan, there’s very little left to be interested in, other than of course the usual issues of non-proliferation and terrorism and drugs,” added Jalal. “ India is very much on the American mind rather than Pakistan.”

Perception of balance

Afzal said it now will be interesting to see how the US approaches Pakistan under Sharif’s leadership. Biden was US vice president when Sharif’s older brother, Nawaz, a three-time prime minister, held the post, “so the Biden administration is familiar with the Sharif family”.

But she explained that Washington’s relationship with Pakistan historically has focused on the country’s powerful military , which had been on “the same page” with Khan is his foreign policy approach.

“[Khan] was saying he wanted an independent foreign policy, he wanted good relationships with all counties – that is the foreign policy approach both of the civilian government and the military … [But] in the last few months it ended up looking different because of visits to China and Russia, whereas there hasn’t been a relationship really with the White House,” Afzal said.

“[The military] does want a positive relationship with the US and looking like Pakistan is not properly balancing its relationships with the US and with China, is something the military does not like.”

For her part, Jalal said that while she believed US-Pakistan ties will return “to the normal situation”, it would be a mistake to think that Islamabad would not continue to pursue relations with Moscow as it seeks to mend things with Washington.

“This [balance] is not an Imran Khan policy; it’s a state policy,” she said. “So, I think it’s important to understand that.”

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PAKPAC USA - Pakistani-American Political Committe

  • US-Pakistan Relations

Relations between the U.S and Pakistan began prior to Pakistan’s independence, as noted when the United States Secretary of State, George Marshall, sent a message to Pakistan’s founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, extending best wishes on behalf of the United States. The message was mentioned in Jinnah’s address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan in 1947.

The message which was read out loud  by Jinnah stated: “On the occasion of of the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly for Pakistan, I extend to you and to the members of the Assembly, the best wishes of the Government and the people of the United States for the successful conclusion of the great work you are about to undertake.”

In 1950, the U.S. invited Pakistan’s first Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, on an official state visit, in which the Prime Minister met U.S. President Harry Truman. Having the choice to remain neutral during the Cold War, Pakistan opted to side with the U.S., allying against the spread of communism. This alliance cemented future ties and military relations between the two nations. In 1954, U.S. and Pakistan signed a Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement, strengthening military ties between the two nations. Thus, the treaty permitted Pakistan military officers to be trained in the United States.

In 1959, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower was the first U.S. leader to visit Pakistan. The people of Pakistan received him warmly. During the 1950s and the 1960s, the sentiment of the people of Pakistan toward the U.S. was high.

In 1970, the first democratic elections in Pakistan were held, which resulted in Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, head of the socialist Pakistan People’s Party, becoming President in December 1971. During his tenure, Pakistan played a critical role in strengthening relations between the U.S. and China resulting in U.S. President Richard Nixon’s visit to China. Although Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto maintained a close relationship with President Nixon, ties between Pakistan and the United States deteriorated under President Jimmy Carter.

In 1978, Pakistan General Zia-ul-Haq, in a coup d’état, took over Pakistan. When Ronald Reagan became President of the United States, the economic and military ties strengthened to fight the common enemy of communism in the Cold War.

In 1988, Benazir Bhutto was elected, becoming the first female prime minister of Pakistan. Although Pakistan, during Prime Minister Bhutto’s time in office, was under democratic rule between 1988 and 1999, relations between the U.S. and Pakistan suffered setbacks. Pakistan was imposed with economic sanctions, which hindered the development of democracy.

In 1999, General Pervez Musharraf imposed military rule. The world changed with the tragedy of September 11, 2001. Since that awful day, Democrats and Republicans in Washington have forged strong ties to combat terrorism and strengthen Pakistani civil society and good governance.

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President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy with the President of Pakistan, Muhammad Ayub Khan at Quonset Point Naval Air Station

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President Ronald Reagan with the Pakistani Prime Minister Mohammed Khan Junejo during a visit to the White House

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Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tennessee), Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Senator Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) and Senator Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey)

Pakistani-American Diaspora

Pakistani-Americans have a higher household income compared to the average American. Pakistanis are known to have fared better in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world by attaining higher levels of education and being gainfully employed, all while upholding a sense of culture and heritage.

As early as the first days of the United States, Muslims from South Asia immigrated to the United States contributing to its economy by working in various fields such as agriculture and mining. In 1946, after the signing of the Luce-Celler Act, over 2,500 Pakistani immigrants acquired U.S. citizenship through naturalization. According to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, most of these Pakistanis were students who had just graduated from American universities. The latest U.S. Census, from 2010, estimated that there are over 360,000 Pakistani-Americans living in the U.S.

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Raisi's forgotten trip to Islamabad, and the strategic implication for the US and Israel - opinion

Notably, it was the first official iranian visit to pakistan since the two islamic powers exchanged threats and terrorist groups directed attacks on each other’s territory..

 PAKISTAN’S PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif (left) greets Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Islamabad last month.  (photo credit: Pakistani Prime Minister's Office/Reuters)

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Iran’s president set to visit Pakistan for wide-ranging talks 

  • By Ayaz Gul

FILE - A handout picture provided by the Iranian Presidency shows the Islamic republic's President Ebrahim Raisi speaking in Tehran, Nov. 6, 2023.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will arrive in neighboring Pakistan on Monday for official meetings with the host nation's leaders amidst Iran-Israel tensions. An announcement from Islamabad's foreign ministry Sunday stated that the talks will provide an “important opportunity” to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation in trade, connectivity, energy, and agriculture. It said Raisi’s high-level delegation would include the Iranian foreign minister, other Cabinet members, and business representatives. During his three-day stay in Pakistan, the Iranian president is scheduled to meet his counterpart, Asif Ali Zardari, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, among others. The Pakistani statement said without elaborating, “They will also discuss regional and global developments and bilateral cooperation to combat the common threat of terrorism.” Iran and Pakistan share a 900-kilometer border, which is prone to militant infiltration, smuggling, and other illegal crossings. The countries accuse each other of not preventing militant groups from sheltering on their respective lands and launching cross-border terrorist attacks. In January, Iranian security forces launched missile strikes against what they said were anti-Iran militant hideouts in the southwestern Pakistani border province of Baluchistan. Islamabad condemned Iran's violation of Pakistan’s territorial integrity and retaliated with strikes on bases of anti-Pakistan militants operating from Iranian soil. The unprecedented exchange of so-called counterterrorism strikes raised concerns about a larger conflict between the two Muslim countries and of wider regional instability after Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas carried out an October 7 terror attack on Israel. Tehran and Islamabad urgently undertook diplomatic efforts to defuse bilateral tensions, renewing pledges to enhance counterterrorism cooperation and respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Raisi’s visit is part of those mutual efforts to mend relations between Iran and Pakistan. Gas pipeline Analysts said this week’s meetings in Islamabad are also expected to focus on financial and legal issues related to constructing a gas pipeline between Iran and Pakistan. The two countries signed an agreement in June 2009 for the proposed pipeline to export Iranian natural gas to Pakistan. While Tehran has since claimed to have completed construction of 1,100 kilometers of the pipeline on its side of the border, construction has not started on the Pakistani side because Islamabad fears it would invite U.S. sanctions for importing Iranian gas. Iran’s energy sector is under sanctions from Washington for its nuclear program. Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened to sue Pakistan in international arbitration and impose a penalty of around $18 billion for breach of contract. The U.S. State Department has recently renewed its warning to Islamabad, advising against proceeding with the project in order to avoid sanctions. Iran's recent direct attack on Israel, with more than 300 drones and missiles, has made it even more difficult for Pakistan to build the pipeline, said Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at Washington’s Wilson Center. On social media platform X, Kugelman wrote, “Any possibility of the U.S. giving Pakistan a sanctions waiver for the gas pipeline it claims it plans to build with Iran is essentially nonexistent. And that possibility was practically nil even before the Iranian attack on Israel.” The Iranian strikes were in response to Israel's apparent destruction on April 1 of an Iranian consular building in Syria in which seven members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, including two generals, were killed. “The visit was planned weeks before the current hostilities, and Pakistani officials likely had no estimates that the visit would coincide with a full-blown regional crisis involving Iran,” said Ahmed Quraishi, a Pakistani expert on Middle Eastern affairs. “Coming on the heels of Israel-Iran tensions, the Iranian government is likely to use this visit to suggest regional support for Iran's position,” Quraishi said.

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FILE - Demonstrators display a pre-revolution Iran flag as they gather in Trafalgar Square, London, Sept. 16, 2023. Iranian dissident groups accused London police on May 30, 2024, of not doing enough to identify and apprehend aggressive pro-Iran supporters during a May 24 event.

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May 31, 2024

Pakistan PM Sharif to Visit China June 4-8, Foreign Ministry Says

Reuters

FILE PHOTO: Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaks at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit China from June 4 to 8 on the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Pakistan's foreign ministry said on Friday.

Chinese investment and financial support since 2013 have been key for the South Asian nation's struggling economy, including the rolling over of loans so that Islamabad is able to meet external financing needs at a time foreign reserves are critically low.

The trip will seek to upgrade cooperation under the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is a key part of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative, the foreign office spokesman Mumtaz Baloch said in a press briefing.

"An important aspect of the prime minister's visit will be meetings with corporate executives of leading Chinese companies dealing with oil and gas, energy, ICT and emerging technologies," Baloch said.

Sharif will meet President Xi and hold delegation level talks with Premier Li Qiang, Baloch added.

China has also invested billions in various power projects and road networks in Pakistan under the $65 billion CPEC plan, but the implementation of various projects has slowed in recent months.

Chinese citizens and interests have been regularly attacked in Pakistan by militants, the most recent of which was the killing of six Chinese engineers in a suicide bombing in March. The engineers were working on a dam in northern Pakistan.

Beijing has pressed Pakistan to guarantee the safety of Chinese organisations and personnel working there.

The announcement of Sharif's visit comes days after Pakistan announced it had arrested 11 Islamist militants involved in the bombing. Islamabad has said the militants operate out of Afghanistan, but Kabul has rejected the charges.

(Reporting by Gibran Peshimam; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Sharon Singleton)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

Photos You Should See - May 2024

A voter fills out a ballot paper during general elections in Nkandla, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, Wednesday May 29, 2024. South Africans are voting in an election seen as their country's most important in 30 years, and one that could put them in unknown territory in the short history of their democracy, the three-decade dominance of the African National Congress party being the target of a new generation of discontent in a country of 62 million people — half of whom are estimated to be living in poverty. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

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The Foreign Office (FO) said on Sunday that Iranian President Dr Ebrahim Raisi would undertake an official visit to Pakistan from April 22 (Monday) to April 24 (Wednesday).

In a statement , the FO said this would be the first visit by any head of state to Pakistan after the February 8 general elections.

“The Iranian president will be accompanied by his spouse and a high-level delegation comprising the foreign minister and other members of the cabinet, senior officials as well as a large business delegation,” the FO said.

It said that Raisi would meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.

“He will also visit Lahore and Karachi and meet with the provincial leadership,” it added.

“The two sides will have a wide-ranging agenda to further strengthen Pakistan-Iran ties and enhance cooperation in diverse fields including trade, connectivity, energy, agriculture, and people-to-people contacts,” the FO said.

“They will also discuss regional and global developments and bilateral cooperation to combat the common threat of terrorism,” it added.

“Pakistan and Iran enjoy strong bilateral ties anchored in history, culture and religion. This visit provides an important opportunity to further strengthen Pakistan-Iran relations,” the FO concluded.

The visit comes months after Iran laun­ched attacks in Pakistan targeting what it described as bases for the militant group Jaish al-Adl in the border town of Panjgur in Balochistan, Iranian state media reported, prompting strong condemnation from Islamabad and downgrading of diplomatic ties.

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Less than 48 hours later, Pakistan struck terrorist hideouts in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province. Reacting to the strikes, Iran had stressed that it would not allow its enemies to strain its “amicable and brotherly relations” with Islamabad.

On April 13, President Zardari, in a phone call with Raisi, had underlined the need for enhancing the “exchange of information to overcome the security challenges” being faced by both countries.

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Sharif's Strategic Visit to China: Strengthening CPEC Ties

Pakistan prime minister shehbaz sharif will visit china from june 4 to 8 to discuss strengthening bilateral ties and cooperation under the china-pakistan economic corridor (cpec) with chinese president xi jinping. the visit aims to enhance economic collaboration, amidst pakistan's economic crisis and security concerns for chinese nationals..

Sharif's Strategic Visit to China: Strengthening CPEC Ties

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will embark on a five-day visit to China on Tuesday during which he will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and "jointly draw a blueprint" to strengthen bilateral ties further, as the all-weather allies seek to upgrade cooperation under the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Sharif will be in China from June 4 to 8 on the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said at her weekly briefing in Islamabad on Friday.

The visit aims to increase cooperation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, as the two sides look forward to launching the project's second phase.

The CPEC was launched a decade ago, and several energy and infrastructure projects had already been completed.

During his visit to China, Prime Minister Sharif will hold talks with President Xi and "jointly draw a blueprint" for the growth of China-Pakistan relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in Beijing.

This will be Sharif's first visit to China after he took over as prime minister for the second term after his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party-led coalition government came to power in March.

During his visit, Sharif will also hold in-depth exchanges with Premier Li Qiang and other officials on China-Pakistan relations and issues of mutual interest, Mao told a media briefing.

"China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and iron-clad friends. Our friendship stood the test of time and remains rock solid, steady as Mount Tai," she said.

Mt Taishan, also known as Mt Tai, is a famous mountain in China's Shandong province.

In addition to Beijing, Sharif, 72, will visit Guangdong and Shaanxi provinces.

Mao said the two countries had close high-level exchanges in recent years and steadily advanced practical cooperation conducted fruitful and "high-quality cooperation" of CPEC. The two sides also have maintained sound communication and coordination in international and regional affairs, she said.

India firmly opposes the CPEC, which will link Xinjiang in China and the Gwadar port in Pakistan, because it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of China's ambitious multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI is seen as an attempt by China to further its influence abroad with infrastructure projects funded by Chinese investments across the world.

''China stands ready to work with Pakistan through this visit to make greater progress in our all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and take new steps to build an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era,'' Mao said.

Sharif's visit to Beijing, which is always a first stop for Pakistani leaders after taking over power, is taking place as Pakistan is facing a severe economic crisis with foreign exchange reserves continuing to remain at a low level. China is bankrolling Pakistan to maintain the balance of payments with periodic loans to maintain the requisite forex reserves.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sharif chaired a meeting in Islamabad on Friday on his upcoming China visit directed to prepare an action plan to encourage Chinese companies to set up industries in Pakistan, assuring that Pakistan will provide all possible facilities to Chinese industrialists and investors.

Radio Pakistan reported that a detailed briefing was given to the Prime Minister on the preparations for his visit to China, during which a delegation of industrialists, investors and entrepreneurs from Pakistan will also accompany him during his visit to Chinese city Shenzhen.

The delegation will meet the Chinese business community and discuss the promotion of business-to-business relations between the two countries.

The Prime Minister directed to formulate a comprehensive plan regarding productive business-to-business meetings between the two countries during his visit to China. He also directed the Pakistani Ambassador to China to provide all possible facilities to the Pakistani business delegation in China.

Ahead of Sharif's upcoming visit to China, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar visited Beijing earlier this month and held the fifth strategic dialogue with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

During his talks with Dar, Wang expressed concern over frequent terrorist attacks on Chinese personnel in Pakistan and asked Islamabad to do its utmost to protect them and eliminate the worries of Chinese enterprises and personnel.

The recurring attacks on Chinese nationals working in CPEC projects by militant groups in Pakistan have become a major concern for China. Hundreds of Chinese nations are working on scores of CPEC projects in Pakistan.

In March, five Chinese engineers working at the Dasu hydropower project undertaken by a Chinese company in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and their Pakistani driver were killed when terrorists attacked their vehicle.

Pakistan said it has constituted a 12,000-strong para-military force to protect Chinese workers in the country.

Meanwhile, The Express Tribune newspaper reported that the Pakistan government has approved the construction of another road project under the CPEC at a cost of USD 2 billion, paving the way for the signing of its framework agreement during Prime Minister Sharif's visit to Beijing.

The Central Development Working Party (CDWP), the body mandated to recommend mega schemes for higher forum approval, sanctioned the construction of the Thakot-Raikot 241-kilometer section of the Karakoram Highway, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Planning after the meeting.

The CDWP approved the project at a cost of Rs 567.5 billion (USD 2 billion), with the direction that the price tag should be further reduced by rationalising overhead expenses.

The Karakoram Highway was originally built with the help of China about 50 years ago, and due to the difficult terrain, scores of people died during the construction phase.

A fully functional all-weather Karakoram Highway is critical for China-Pakistan economic and commercial relations. This is the third major road infrastructure project both nations aim to build under CPEC, following the Multan-Sukkur motorway and the Havelian-Thakot section of the Karakoram Highway.

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Home Top News US reacts to Iran president’s visit to Pakistan

US reacts to Iran president’s visit to Pakistan

us president visit pakistan

The United States has reacted to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s scheduled visit to Pakistan on April 22.

Addressing a news briefing in Washington Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department said, that in context to Iran “I’m confident in saying that unleashing hundreds and hundreds of UAVs and ballistic missiles on Israel is certainly not any kind of action that is actually in the interest and for the benefit of the Palestinian people.”

However, he said that as it relates to any visits that other foreign ministers or leaders might have, “I will let their governments comment on that specifically.”

Answering a question regarding Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s US visit, Vedant Patel said “The minister of finance is in the United States for a part of a series of engagements with – not just within the US Government interagency, but also engaging in – with non-governmental organizations. And he met with senior State Department officials here.”

He added that “during the meetings from our end, we encouraged Pakistan to prioritize and expand economic reforms, to address its own economic challenges.”

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Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif to visit China from June 4-8; will hold discussions to upgrade CPEC

Islamabad [Pakistan], May 31 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, from June 4 to 8, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday.

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif will hold meetings with the Chinese President along with other officials.

“At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to China from June 4 to 8. The visit will have three segments,” Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a press briefing.

The Pakistan PM and Chinese president will hold discussions to upgrade China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. CPEC is a USD 50 billion Pakistani component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The 3,000 km Chinese infrastructure network project is under construction in Pakistan and aims to connect Pakistan’s Gwadar and Karachi ports to China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region by land.

“The two sides will further undertake discussions to strengthen the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, upgrade China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, advance trade and investment and enhance cooperation in defence, energy space, science and technology and education,” Baloch said.

Besides Beijing, the Pakistan PM will visit the cities of Xian and Shenzhen.

In Beijing, Shehbaz Sharif will meet Xi Jinping and hold delegation-level talks with Premier Li Qiang.

Further, he will also hold meetings with the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress Zhao Leji and heads of key government Department, Baloch said.

Moreover, Shehbaz Sharif will address the Pakistan-China Business Forum in Shenzhen with leading business entrepreneurs and investors from both countries.

“An important part of PM’s visit will be meetings with corporate executives of leading Chinese companies, dealing in oil and gas, energy, ICT, and emerging technologies,” Baloch said.

He will also visit economic and agricultural zones in China.

Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesperson emphasised that the PM’s visit is a manifestation of the iron-clad China-Pakistan friendship characterized by frequent high-level exchanges and dialogues. (ANI)

This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

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A. three B. four C. two D. five

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Five Presidents of USA have visited Pakistan. which are folowing:

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Modern Diplomacy

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent five-day visit to France, Serbia, and Hungary occurred amidst heightened tensions with many European countries, driven by disputes over trade, concerns about support for Russia’s actions in Ukraine, and allegations of Chinese espionage activities.

Xi’s trip followed closely on the heels of two high-profile U.S. diplomatic missions to China in April, led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Despite expressions of mutual interest in stabilizing relations, there were no clear indications that the significant policy gaps between them could be effectively bridged.

While the ceremonial aspects of Xi Jinping’s reception followed a familiar pattern, the geopolitical and economic landscape, as well as the objectives of his recent European visit, diverged significantly from those of his last trip to the continent in 2019. This time, the emphasis was on exploiting Western divisions and easing trade tensions with the European Union (EU) — tasks that have become progressively more challenging.

The Ceremonial and the Contextual

The official reason for Xi’s visit was to mark the 60th anniversary of China’s relations with France on the first stop of his trip and the 75th anniversary of official ties with Hungary on his last stop. Chinese state media played up the trip as Xi’s celebration of friendly relations and cooperation with European nations. Lin Jian, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry,  said  Xi’s visit would “inject stability into the development of China-Europe relations and make new contributions to peace and stability in the world.”

Upon arriving in Paris, Xi lauded relations between China and France, proclaiming that the two sides “have established a model for the international community of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries with different social systems.” Coinciding with his arrival, Xi published an op-ed in the French newspaper  Le Figaro , making his case for cooperation over confrontation and stressing the importance of Sino-French relations as a “bridge of communication between East and West.” Yet, it is important not to be misled by these formalities and positive sentiments about cooperation. The context here is key: China’s economy is  facing headwinds , and the United States is  imposing restrictions  on Chinese firms. Seen through this lens, Xi’s underlying motive for the trip was to counter European efforts to “de-risk” from China and to fend off the threat of a looming trade war with the EU. However, advancing these objectives will prove difficult because this is a different Transatlantic partnership and a different Europe than Xi encountered during his visit to Europe five years ago.

A Different Transatlantic Alliance

The convergence of pandemic-related supply chain disruptions and Beijing’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine highlighted the economic security implications of China’s growing influence. This has brought the perspectives and approaches of the United States and Europe towards China closer together. These events have further solidified the recognition among policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic that economic security and national security are inherently intertwined.

Undoubtedly, the complex economic and political relationships that EU member states have with China have hindered efforts to forge a cohesive and unified Transatlantic policy stance toward China. Differing threat perceptions and economic dependencies among EU members reflect similar disparities between the United States and Europe. Yet, despite these challenges, Transatlantic partners have converged on the recognition that China poses significant challenges and even threats. There is a consensus on the importance of “de-risking,” the desire to uphold security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, and the necessity to counter China’s activities on the global stage.

The most significant shifts in China policy across the United States and Europe have primarily centered around economic considerations. A broad consensus has emerged regarding the economic risks associated with China, which include several key concerns:

  • Perceived over-reliance on China for critical imports, such as processed rare earth minerals.
  • Beijing’s utilization of outbound direct investment and research partnerships to acquire sensitive, often dual-use, technologies.
  • The presence of forced labor within certain supply chains, particularly those linked to Xinjiang.
  • Longstanding issues related to intellectual property theft and lack of reciprocal market access.
  • China’s utilization of economic coercion tactics.

In response to these challenges, governments across Europe and the United States have implemented various defensive measures aimed at mitigating these economic risks posed by China.

A Different Europe  

Amidst President Xi’s recent visit to Europe, he was warmly received by French President Emmanuel Macron, while Viktor Orbán of Hungary and Aleksandar Vučić of Serbia orchestrated highly choreographed welcomes . However, European sentiments towards China have generally deteriorated since Xi’s last visit to the continent.

Xi’s first stop on his March 2019 tour of Europe, Rome, included a lavish welcome and ceremony  to celebrate Italy’s decision to participate in his signature Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. While in France, Xi witnessed the signing of multibillion trade deals, including an order or 300 Airbus planes worth 30 billion euros. However, even during this productive and seemingly promising  period in Sino-European relations, there were underlying tensions and indications of a more assertive EU strategy towards China.

The EU’s most significant shift in perspective on China occurred on 12 March 2019, just prior to Xi’s visit, when the European Commission and the European External Action Service jointly released a strategic reflection paper . This document introduced the term “systemic rival,” signaling growing frustration within EU circles over Chinas reluctance to open its markets to European companies in vital sectors. The next month, the EU finalized an investment screening mechanism , a pivotal development aimed at establishing a more cohesive, unified EU strategy for detecting and addressing foreign direct investment (FDI) from China in critical assets, technologies, and infrastructure. By this time, concerns over Chinese trade surpluses had also heightened, and Europe’s initial enthusiasm for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) had waned.

In the intervening time, the three Baltic states  have opted out of the China-CEE Cooperation Platform , Beijing’s so-called “17+1” initiative. Poland has scaled back its engagement with Beijing. For the Czech Republic , China is not the attractive partner it once was. Last December, the Italian government formally  announced  that it would withdraw from the Belt and Road Initiative. 

This trend had, if anything, intensified in the weeks and months leading up to Xi’s recent visit. In January, the EU unveiled a new economic security package . Escalating its crackdown on foreign subsidies, the EU introduced a range of measures to counter what it perceives as unfair state support for Chinese industries. The EU currently has numerous ongoing probes into suspected anti-competitive practices. Additionally, the EU Commission has launched investigations into the activities of social media app TikTok under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

Just prior to Xi’s visit to France, the EU conducted dawn raids on the Warsaw and Rotterdam offices of Nuctech, a Chinese surveillance equipment producer that is partially state-owned, which was blacklisted by the U.S. in 2020 due to security concerns. Several prominent cases of alleged Chinese espionage and influence operations have also surfaced in recent months. In early April, Sweden expelled a Chinese journalist who had resided in the country for two decades, citing national security threats. Shortly after, both Germany and Britain separately charged individuals with spying for the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) to obtain technological information. Additionally, the Dutch military intelligence agency MIVD reported in its annual review that Chinese operatives had targeted Dutch semiconductor, aerospace, and maritime industries in efforts to bolster Beijing’s military capabilities.

These developments illustrate a notable hardening of the European approach towards China. Indeed, Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine appeared to solidify a shift towards a more hawkish stance, with the EU and most of its member states reassessing the prudence of engaging with authoritarian regimes. During his visit to Washington last December, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, once a strong advocate of Chinese investment in UK infrastructure as prime minister, declared that China had become “an epoch-defining challenge.” Indeed, the mood among European leaders regarding China has distinctly changed, as reflected in their vocabulary: “engagement” has become taboo while “de-risking” is now favored.

The shift in attitudes among European decision-makers’ towards China is mirrored by public sentiment. According to survey results released by the Pew Research Center last July, half or more of respondents in North American and European countries expressed somewhat or very unfavorable opinions of China. Similarly, a poll  last year of Eastern and Central European countries conducted by Globsec, a research group in Slovakia, found that “negative perceptions of Beijing have soared.” 

Modest Investment, Meagre Dividends

Turning back to Xi’s itinerary and assessing what his visit to Europe accomplished or fell short of achieving, it is essential to situate it within the broader framework of the EU’s increasingly assertive stance towards China.

Celebrating 2024 as the 60th anniversary of Sino-French relations, Xi recited familiar talking points about “win-win” economic ties. However, publicly, he made no concessions. Xi dismissed the notion of a Chinese “ overcapacity problem .” The absence of significant trade breakthroughs can be traced back to fundamentally divergent perspectives: while the EU sees Chinese practices as anticompetitive, China views EU actions as protectionist.

Similarly, President Macron’s efforts to urge Xi to leverage his influence on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine were unsuccessful. Xi simply reiterated China’s stance that it will not supply weapons to Russia and would “strictly control” exports of dual-use equipment, positions his government had already committed to enforcing. Xi did not acknowledge Western concerns about China’s role in sustaining the Russian economy by providing access to goods sanctioned by the West. Instead, he accused the U.S. and other Western countries of hypocrisy for exacerbating the conflict through arms deliveries to Ukraine, stating : “We oppose using the Ukraine crisis to cast blame, smear a third country, and incite a new Cold War.”

In contrast to Xi’s visit to France, his trips to EU candidate Serbia and EU member Hungary — two nations led by autocratic leaders considered friendly towards China and close to Russian President Vladimir Putin — were characterized by commitments to strengthen political ties and expand investments. Welcomed by enthusiastic crowds in Belgrade, Presidents Xi and Vučić lauded the “ ironclad friendship ” between their countries, signing 28 new cooperation agreements and announcing a new deal aimed at enhancing the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Serbia. Xi concluded his Europe trip with a visit to Budapest, where he pledged new investments in transportation and energy infrastructure.

Minding the Gaps

Xi Jinping’s trip to Europe revealed more than it achieved — about the toughening of the European approach to China and its tightening convergence with that of the United States. It also highlighted elements of China’s strategy, which is aimed at exploiting divisions within Europe and driving a wedge between Europe and the United States.

While Xi’s visit did little to widen these gaps, it did expose some of them. The 27 members of the bloc are not in complete alignment. Emmanuel Macron has dedicated much of his international reputation to forging a Europe with “strategic autonomy,” a goal that Beijing has tacitly supported and that, despite its seeming elusiveness, Macron has not abandoned. Another gap is evident between the German position on China, on the one hand, and that of the French and the European Commission (EC) , on the other. There is greater readiness in Paris and Brussels to push back against Beijing on the trade front than there is in Berlin .

The pivotal meetings, notably those involving President Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, ultimately yielded dialogues devoid of deliverables. The most significant achievement was Xi’s backing for an “ Olympics truce ” during the Paris Games. In this regard, the results and prospects resemble recent engagements between U.S. officials and their Chinese counterparts. Ongoing consultations between senior Chinese officials and the Biden White House have fostered more dialogue on critical issues than seen in recent years. However, this does not alter the fundamental tension inherent in U.S.-China relations, though it may lead to the establishment of a new framework for managing economic disputes. Through Xi’s visits to Serbia and Hungary — Beijing’s two remaining friends in Europe — China has retained its economic and geopolitical foothold there. Nevertheless, the prevailing European approach, grounded in the triptych of “China as partner, competitor, and rival” is here to stay, with the “competitor” and “rival” components becoming more prominent.

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Putin arrives in Uzbekistan on the 3rd foreign trip of his new term

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in the capital of Uzbekistan where he is to hold talks with President Shavkay Mirziyoyev. The talks are expected to focus on deepening the countries’ relations. The visit is Putin’s third foreign trip since being inaugurated for a fifth term on May.

Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Monument to the Independence of Uzbekistan in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Sunday, May 26, 2024. (Andrey Gordeev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Monument to the Independence of Uzbekistan in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Sunday, May 26, 2024. (Andrey Gordeev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visit Yangi O’zbekiston park during their meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Sunday, May 26, 2024. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin greet Russian and Uzbek diplomates during their meeting at an International airport outside Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Sunday, May 26, 2024. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

An Ilyushin IL-96 Russian Presidential Aircraft carrying Russian President Vladimir Putin on board taxis after landing at an International airport outside Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Sunday, May 26, 2024. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, top right, upon his arrival at an International airport outside Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Sunday, May 26, 2024. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visit Yangi O’zbekiston Park during their meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Sunday, May 26, 2024. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived Sunday in the capital of Uzbekistan where he is to hold talks with President Shavkay Mirziyoyev that are expected to focus on deepening the countries’ relations.

Putin laid a wreath at a momument to Uzbekistan’s independence in Tashkent and held what the Kremlin said were informal talks with Mirziyoyev. The formal meeting of the presidents is to take place Monday.

The visit is Putin’s third foreign trip since being inaugurated for a fifth term in May. He first went to China , where he expressed appreciation for China’s proposals for talks to end the Ukraine conflict, and later to Belarus where Russia has deployed tactical nuclear weapons.

Ahead of the Uzbekistan trip, Putin and Mirziyoyev discussed an array of bilateral cooperation issues, including trade and economic relations, the Kremlin said.

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    Official working visit. Arrived in the U.S. April 5; also visited New York City and Los Angeles. Departed the U.S. April 14. April 9-11, 1995. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Met with President Clinton at the UN General Assembly in New York City. September 22, 1997. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Met with President Clinton at the U.N. General ...

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  8. Remarks on Arrival at Lahore, Pakistan

    The United States' contribution to Pakistan's development efforts has been very substantial and will always be remembered with gratitude. Your visit, Mr. President, is taking place at a critical time. It will provide us with an opportunity to get to know each other and exchange views on mutual interests.

  9. FACT SHEET: The United States and Pakistan

    President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama hosted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and First Lady Kalsoom Nawaz Sharif at the White House on October 22, 2015. ... During Secretary Kerry's January 2015 visit to Pakistan, he pledged $250 million to assist in the relief, recovery, and rehabilitation of the region. The United States ...

  10. Where Do Pakistan-US Relations Go From Here?

    Khan was returning from his maiden official visit to the United States, where he met the then U.S. President Donald Trump. Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan, is often described as a sleepy town.

  11. Five US presidents visited Pakistan during military regimes

    By Sabir Shah. July 19, 2019. LAHORE: Contrary to the Pakistani rulers who have visited the United States some 42 times since 1947, only five American presidents have till date landed in Karachi ...

  12. President's Visit to Pakistan

    President's Visit to Pakistan. President George W. Bush and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf stand together following their joint news conference at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, March 4, 2006.

  13. Remarks at the Welcoming Ceremony for President Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq of

    President Reagan. Mr. President, Begum Zia, it's a great pleasure for Nancy and me to welcome you to Washington today. Your visit to the United States this week both symbolizes and strengthens the close ties which exist between our two countries. As you arrive here, the world, and your region in particular, are passing through a critical phase.

  14. America Welcomes President Ayub, July 1961: 11-19

    July 1961: 11-19. Description. Motion picture covering the official state visit of President Mohammad Ayub Khan of Pakistan to the United States. Included are his arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, and welcome by President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy; motorcade through Washington, D.C.; State Dinner at Mount ...

  15. U.S. delegation to visit Pakistan as two sides seek to repair ties

    The U.S. delegation will visit Bangladesh and Pakistan from Feb. 14-18 to meet with senior government officials, civil society members and business leaders, the State Department said in a statement

  16. What Pakistan's political shakeup means for relations with US

    15 Apr 2022. As Pakistan's Imran Khan fought to retain his post in the face of mounting pressure this month, the now-former prime minister pointed the finger at the United States to explain his ...

  17. List of international trips made by presidents of the United States

    Bill Clinton. Countries visited by Bill Clinton during his presidency, 1993-2001. Bill Clinton made 54 trips to 72 countries (in addition to visiting the West Bank and Gaza) during his presidency. [37] He made 24 trips to continental Europe, seventeen to Asia, two to Africa and to Australia.

  18. US-Pakistan Relations

    In 1954, U.S. and Pakistan signed a Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement, strengthening military ties between the two nations. Thus, the treaty permitted Pakistan military officers to be trained in the United States. In 1959, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower was the first U.S. leader to visit Pakistan. The people of Pakistan received him warmly.

  19. Iranian president Raisi visits Pakistan and the trip's implications

    On April 22, Ebrahim Raisi, president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, landed in the Pakistani capital for a three-day visit, which included multiple high-level talks with Pakistani policymakers ...

  20. Iran's president set to visit Pakistan for wide-ranging talks

    United States U.S. News All About America Silicon Valley & Technology Immigration. World ... Iran's president set to visit Pakistan for wide-ranging talks April 21, 2024 10:03 AM

  21. Pakistan PM Sharif to Visit China June 4-8, Foreign Ministry Says

    ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit China from June 4 to 8 on the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Pakistan's foreign ministry said on Friday. Chinese ...

  22. Iranian President Raisi to arrive in Islamabad tomorrow on official visit

    Join our Whatsapp channel. The Foreign Office (FO) said on Sunday that Iranian President Dr Ebrahim Raisi would undertake an official visit to Pakistan from April 22 (Monday) to April 24 ...

  23. Sharif's Strategic Visit to China: Strengthening CPEC Ties

    Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit China from June 4 to 8 to discuss strengthening bilateral ties and cooperation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The visit aims to enhance economic collaboration, amidst Pakistan's economic crisis and security concerns for Chinese nationals.

  24. US reacts to Iran president's visit to Pakistan

    The United States has reacted to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's scheduled visit to Pakistan on April 22. Addressing a news briefing in Washington Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department said, that in context to Iran "I'm confident in saying that unleashing hundreds and hundreds of UAVs and ballistic ...

  25. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif to visit China from June 4-8 ...

    Islamabad [Pakistan], May 31 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, from June 4 to 8, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif will hold meetings with the Chinese President along with other officials. Show Full Article […]

  26. How many US Presidents have visited Pakistan?

    Informal visit; met with President Ayub Khan. December 7-9, 1959: Lyndon B. Johnson: Karachi: Met with President Ayub Khan. December 23, 1967: Richard M. Nixon: Lahore: ... Now you can submit Us latest Pakistan Studies Mcqs. SUBMIT HERE. IF YOU THINK THAT ABOVE POSTED MCQ IS WRONG.

  27. Xi Jinping's Visit to Europe: More Dialogue than Deliverables

    By Dr. John Calabrese. May 27, 2024. Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent five-day visit to France, Serbia, and Hungary occurred amidst heightened tensions with many European countries, driven by disputes over trade, concerns about support for Russia's actions in Ukraine, and allegations of Chinese espionage activities.

  28. Curtain Raiser: Prime Minister's Visit to China

    At the invitation of President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang of the People's Republic of China, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to China from 4-8 June 2024. The visit will have three segments. Besides Beijing, the Prime Minister will visit the cities of Xi'an and Shenzhen.

  29. Putin arrives in Uzbekistan on the 3rd foreign trip of his new term

    The visit is Putin's third foreign trip since being inaugurated for a fifth term on May. Photos. 11. Updated 6:25 PM PDT, May 26, 2024. MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived Sunday in the capital of Uzbekistan where he is to hold talks with President Shavkay Mirziyoyev that are expected to focus on deepening the countries ...