As Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan reached Washington on athree-day official visit, a senior US administration official indicated thatWashington may consider making some “changes to the suspension” of USsecurity assistance to Pakistan if Islamabad re-adjusts some of its policies.
Briefing journalists on Khan’s visit, the official also saidthat by extending an invitation to the Pakistani leader to visit the WhiteHouse, the US has sent a message to Islamabad that the “door is open torepairing relations” and building an enduring partnership.
“By and large that security assistance is stillsuspended,” said the official while responding to a question on thecontinued suspension of US security assistance to Pakistan, the Dawn reported.
The Trump administration suspended security assistance toPakistan in January 2018, and this marks the first time a US official hasdiscussed the possibility – even though remote – of removing that suspension ifPakistan takes certain measures.
“We will consider changing that suspension on certain itemsif Pakistan meets our security concerns both in Afghanistan, and with regard tosome of the externally focus groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba andJaish-e-Mohammed,” the official told reporters during a conference call.
But so far, there “has been no change to that suspensionand security assistance,” the official added.
The official also said that to avail the opportunity forrestoring a close relationship with Washington, Islamabad will have to”change its policies” towards terrorism and militancy.
Khan, who began his official engagements soon after his arrivalon Saturday, goes to the White House on July 22 for an extensive three-hourvisit, which includes a one-on-one meeting with US President Donald Trump andtwo meetings and a working lunch with the President’s team.
The senior Trump administration official said that Trump will bemost interested in encouraging Pakistan to assist in the Afghan peace processand he hopes that “the discussions will be productive”.
The White House also sees the visit as an opportunity toincentivise Pakistan to use its leverage on the Taliban to advance the Afghanpeace process.
“We see that this visit could incentivise Pakistan tocontinue down the path that they have started. They’ve facilitated contacts toTaliban and met some of our requests with regards to the Afghan peaceprocess,” the official said.
“We’re at a critical juncture and we need to see morecooperation from Pakistan. They need to use their full leverage in thisendeavour. And so, we see this visit as an opportunity to encourage them to domore,” said the official.
Apparently, Afghanistan will be the main item on the US agendaand Washington seems clear that it needs Pakistan’s support to achieve thisobjective.
“We are calling on Pakistan for assistance in moving thepeace process forward,” said the official, adding that the US”appreciates initial steps that Pakistan has taken to facilitate” theUS-Taliban talks but at this “critical juncture in the peaceprocess,” it needs more support.
“We are asking Pakistan to pressure the Taliban into apermanent ceasefire and participation in intra-Afghan negotiations that wouldinclude the Afghan government,” the official said.
The US would also ask Pakistan to take irreversible actionagainst terrorist and militant groups, and to facilitate peace talks with theTaliban for an intra-Afghan dialogue, the official added.
For the US, the purpose of the visit “is to press forconcrete cooperation from Pakistan to advance the Afghan peace process, and toencourage Pakistan to deepen and sustain its recent effort to crack down onterrorist and militants within its territory,” the official said.