Widely seen as a snub to the United States of America, Pakistan has asked a U.S delegation, led by U.S Assistant Secretary of State and Acting Special Representative to the region Alice Wells, to reschedule its visit.
Ms. Wells was to visit Pakistan on Monday following up on President Donald Trump’s policy review of the region.
“At the request of the government of Pakistan, the visit of the U.S delegation has been postponed until a mutually convenient time,” the Pakistan Foreign Office stated in a brief press release on Sunday night. The U.S Embassy conformed that the meetings were deferred on Pakistan’s request.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif postponed his visit to the U.S. He was scheduled to meet with U.S Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on August 25. Another visit, that of a delegation led by senior White House National Security Council official Lisa Curtis, has also been rescheduled.
The deferred meetings are being seen in Islamabad as the relations between U.S and Pakistan hitting a new low following U.S President Donald Trump’s policy review in which he warned Pakistan to act against alleged safe sanctuaries of the Taliban on Pakistani soil or face cuts in aid.
Pakistan reacted angrily last week when the National Security Committee comprising civil and military leadership, outright rejected the specific allegations and insinuation made by Mr. Trump against Pakistan and observed that to scapegoat Pakistan would not help in stabilising Afghanistan.
So far there is no reaction from the U.S on the deferments of the meetings.