Pakistan has suspended talks with the U.S. administration and deferred official bilateral visits in protest against U.S. President Donald Trump’s policy review speech, in which he alleged Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan.
Two leading English dailies, Dawn and Express Tribune, quoted sources from an in-camera session of the Senate on Monday in which Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif informed the members about the suspension.
Last week, Mr. Asif deferred his planned U.S. visit after Mr. Trump’s speech. Pakistan’s Foreign Office also asked the U.S. administration to reschedule the visit of Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells and another delegation led by advisor to White House on South Asian affairs Lisa Curtis till a mutually convenient time.
The Pakistani government is expected to convene a special session of the Parliament later this week or early next week to formulate a joint strategy to cope with the situation arising out of Trump’s speech.
