U.S. top officials due in Pakistan amid growing mistrust
ISLAMABAD, June 10 (Xinhua) -- A team of senior U.S. officials are scheduled to arrive in Pakistan on Friday for key talks at a time when a recent American drone strike in the sensitive Balochistan province has badly affected bilateral relations, officials said.
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz warned on Thursday that the drone attack would have "long-lasting implications" for the relationship.
Pakistani officials believe that the U.S. strike that had killed the Afghan Taliban chief, Mullah Akhtar Mansour on May 21, has also undermined the diplomatic efforts for peace process in Afghanistan.
Official sources say that the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Olson and Senior Director for South Asian Affairs at the National Security Council Peter Lavoy are among the U.S. officials who will hold talks with senior Pakistani civil and military leaders.
Both sides will hold talks later on Friday, Sartaj Aziz said.
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Pakistan tells top U.S. officials recent drone attack "vitiated" ties
ISLAMABAD, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Friday told visiting senior U.S. officials that a recent U.S. drone strike in its southwestern Balochistan province has "vitiated bilateral ties."
Ambassador Richard Olson, U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan and Peter Lavoy, Senior Adviser and Director for South Asian Affairs of at the U.S. National Security Council arrived in Islamabad early Friday weeks after a U.S. drone attack killed the Afghan Taliban chief at a time when efforts were underway to bring the Taliban to the negotiation table.
The U.S. delegation held talks with Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry at the Foreign Ministry and held candid discussions on bilateral relations, regional security situation and the Afghan peace process in the wake of May 21 drone strike in Balochistan, the Foreign Ministry said.
"The Adviser conveyed a strong message to the United States that the 21 May drone strike was not only a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and breach of the principles of the United Nation's Charter, but has also vitiated bilateral ties," a Foreign Ministry statement said.
"It was emphasized that any future drone strike in Pakistan will be detrimental to our common desire to strengthen relations," the statement further said.
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