U.S Centcom chief holds important meetings in Pakistan
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Islamabad, Nov 3, IRNA
Pakistan-US General
General David Petraeus, the Centcom chief, began important meetings with Pakistani top military and political leadership on security issues on Monday, officials said.
General Petraeus, accompanied by the U.S Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard Boucher, arrived last night for talks on his first visit since he has assumed new assignment.
With his new assignment General Petraeus will oversee all US military operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
Officials said the U.S general will meet Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and new chief of intelligence agency ISI Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shujaa Pasha.
The visit comes at a time when the U.S drones have stepped up missile strikes in the tribal regions to target Taliban-linked militants but locals say that majority of the victims are civilians.
Officials say that Pakistani leaders will raise the issue of missile strikes in the tribal regions.
Pakistani Senate last week passed a unanimous resolution condemning American missile strikes in the tribal region and asked the government to take measures to stop such attacks.
The US ambassador was also summoned to the Foreign Ministry last week to lodge a formal protest but the U.S has continued strikes despite protest and the parliament resolution.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Saturday warned that civil war can start in the country if the US continued strikes.
Reports said that the centcom chief will hold talks with Pakistani military leadership to discuss the on-going cooperation against al-Qaeda and Taliban.
Diplomatic sources said that General Petraeus will also visit Afghanistan, his first with the new assignment, to review the ongoing operations against Taliban.
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