Pakistan, US hold security talks prior to FM Bilawal’s visit

WASHINGTON – Pakistan and America on Wednesday completed their security level talks in Washington.

The talks were held days before a scheduled meeting between their foreign policy chiefs in New York.

ISI Director-General (DG ISI) Lt-Gen Nadeem Anjum spent three days in Washington this week, meeting senior security officials, including US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and CIA Director William J Burns.

Neither side disclosed the details of these meetings, but the talks are believed to have focused on bilateral security concerns and the situation in Afghanistan, as the US believes that Pakistan can help stabilise the war-torn country.

The last security level talks between the two countries were held in July 2021, when then-National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf met Mr Sullivan at White House. The Pakistani delegation had also included former ISI chief Lt-Gen Faiz Hameed.

The current ISI chief’s visit followed an unprecedented deterioration in Pakistan-US ties, triggered by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s claim that Washington conspired with opposition leaders to topple his government.

The US government on Wednesday termed former prime minister Imran Khan’s allegations about his ouster as a “propaganda, misinformation, and lies”.

In April, ex-prime minister Imran Khan was ousted through a no-trust motion and Shehbaz Sharif was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Pakistan.

However, Imran Khan repeatedly blamed the US government for his ouster, claiming that US President Joe Biden’s administration was behind the regime change in Pakistan.

US terms Imran Khan’s allegations as ... 10:12 AM | 11 May, 2022

WASHINGTON – The US government on Wednesday termed former prime minister Imran Khan’s allegations about his ...