Pompeo to visit Islamabad for talks with PM Khan
Islamabad, Aug 19 : US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo is likely to visit Islamabad in September for consultations with Pakistan's newly-elected Prime Minister Imran Khan and his team on issues of mutual interests, sources told Dawn news on Sunday.
Pompeo, who is expected in Islamabad on September 5, will likely be the first foreign dignitary to meet Khan, who was sworn-in as Pakistan's 22nd Prime Minister on Saturday.
During his talks with Pakistani officials, Pompeo may focus on two major issues: efforts to revive once close ties between the two states and Pakistan's support for a US-led move to jump-starting the Afghan peace process, the sources said.
Alice Wells, who heads the Bureau for South Asian affairs at the State Department, may also accompany Pompeo.
Earlier this week, US officials urged Pakistan to help end the Afghan war, adding that recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan have not discouraged them from negotiating peace with some Taliban factions.
On Saturday, the US State Department said that it recognises and welcomes the new Pakistani Prime Minister, dispelling the impression that Washington was not happy with Khan's election, reports Dawn news.
In an earlier statement, a senior US official had hoped that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government would work with the US for translating tough issues into mutual achievements.
"We recognise and welcome the newly elected Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on taking the oath of office," Nauert said.
Relations between Pakistan and the US nosedived in January when President Donald Trump accused Islamabad of providing "safe haven" to the terrorists who kill American soldiers in Afghanistan while taking billions of dollars in aid from Washington.
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Maharashtra Congress chief Patole meets Kharge, dismisses resignation talk as 'rumours'
New Delhi, Nov 25: Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Monday dismissed as "rumours" talk of his resignation following the assembly polls debacle and stressed on "collective accountability" for the defeat.
Patole made the remarks after meeting Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge during which he conveyed that the result had not reflected the sentiments of the people of Maharashtra.
"Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and other national and state leaders were leading Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) from the forefront during the assembly polls. So, we were sure that the trends were in favour of Maha Vikas Aghadi, even the citizens believed that," the Maharashtra Congress chief said.
"If I talk about Nanded, the Lok Sabha bypolls and assembly elections were held on the same day. In Lok Sabha bypolls, our candidate was winning in six assembly seats, whereas, in the assembly elections, we are not winning even a single seat," he said, adding that there cannot be such a "huge difference".
This is the sentiment among the people also and they have stated that this government in Maharashtra was not being formed on their votes, he claimed.
"So, I spoke to Mallikarjun Kharge on this," he added.
Asked whether he had offered to resign or the party had asked for his resignation after the Maharashtra assembly polls defeat, Patole said, "These are all rumours and there is no truth in them. There is collective accountability."
Patole also said he will meet Rahul Gandhi in a day or two and discuss all issues.
"Democracy is being finished. We have discussed that... there was no talk of resignation," he said.
The MVA alliance, comprising the Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and Shiv Sena (UBT), was restrained to 46 seats by the Mahayuti that reaped a rich harvest of 230 seats in the 288-member House.
