Kayani, Qureshi to attend upcoming US-Pak strategic dialogue

WASHINGTON - The next round of the US-Pakistan strategic dialogue will be held in Washington later this month, and Islamabad will send a high-level delegation, including Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi as well as Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, for the talks.

Diplomatic sources disclosed that the Pakistani delegation would arrive in Washington on October 20, and the talks would be held at the US State Department on October 21 and 22, the Dawn reported.

“General Kayani will certainly be there, Mr Qureshi, the foreign minister, will be there,” confirmed Geoff Morrell, a spokesman for the Pentagon.

He also described the dialogue between the two countries as “the best testament” to the strength of the US-Pak relationship.

“So the relationship continues despite these setbacks. And there are going to be setbacks occasionally,” said Morrell, referring to Pakistan’s decision to close the Torkham supply route for NATO forces in Afghanistan in retaliation against cross-border air-strikes by ISAF helicopters, one of which allegedly killed three Pakistani soldiers. (ANI)