US assistant defence secretary ‘cold-shouldered’ in Islamabad
* Peter Lavoy fails to meet any high-level official in two-day visit
* US embassy says it is unaware of Lavoy’s schedule
Monday, June 11, 2012
By Imdad Hussain
ISLAMABAD: [HI]Silence over US Assistant Defence Secretary Peter Lavoy’s visit, who concluded his two-day tour to Pakistan on Sunday, is creating doubts about any progress on NATO supply and defusing of tensions between Islamabad and Washington after US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta’s allegations.
[/HI]
The visiting US official neither met army chief General Ashfaq Kayani nor held any high-level meeting in the Foreign Ministry, sources said, adding, “He met only an additional secretary.”
It is not clear as whether Pakistani officials avoided meeting him.
Lavoy visited Pakistan a day after the US top defence official said Pakistan is allowing militants’ haven in the bordering area to cause attacks on the US and coalition forces in Afghanistan.
An official said on condition of anonymity that the purpose of Lavoy’s visit was to push the talks on NATO supply line and to defuse tensions between Islamabad and Pakistan after Panetta’s statement.
The US embassy also did not confirm a meeting of Lavoy with any official.
[HI]“I am not aware of the US assistant secretary for defence’s schedule in Islamabad. I am also not sure as to whom specifically he met in Pakistan,” acting US embassy spokesman Rob Raines told Daily Times.
“He would leave for Washington today’s late night or tomorrow (Monday) morning.”
An official in the Defence Ministry said, “Had his (Lavoy) formal meeting with the defence secretary or the minister taken place then it would have been communicated to us.”
Sources in the Foreign Affairs Ministry said the US official might have met Pakistani officials at low level but at high level no meeting had taken place.[/HI]
* Peter Lavoy fails to meet any high-level official in two-day visit
* US embassy says it is unaware of Lavoy’s schedule
Monday, June 11, 2012
By Imdad Hussain
ISLAMABAD: [HI]Silence over US Assistant Defence Secretary Peter Lavoy’s visit, who concluded his two-day tour to Pakistan on Sunday, is creating doubts about any progress on NATO supply and defusing of tensions between Islamabad and Washington after US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta’s allegations.
[/HI]
The visiting US official neither met army chief General Ashfaq Kayani nor held any high-level meeting in the Foreign Ministry, sources said, adding, “He met only an additional secretary.”
It is not clear as whether Pakistani officials avoided meeting him.
Lavoy visited Pakistan a day after the US top defence official said Pakistan is allowing militants’ haven in the bordering area to cause attacks on the US and coalition forces in Afghanistan.
An official said on condition of anonymity that the purpose of Lavoy’s visit was to push the talks on NATO supply line and to defuse tensions between Islamabad and Pakistan after Panetta’s statement.
The US embassy also did not confirm a meeting of Lavoy with any official.
[HI]“I am not aware of the US assistant secretary for defence’s schedule in Islamabad. I am also not sure as to whom specifically he met in Pakistan,” acting US embassy spokesman Rob Raines told Daily Times.
“He would leave for Washington today’s late night or tomorrow (Monday) morning.”
An official in the Defence Ministry said, “Had his (Lavoy) formal meeting with the defence secretary or the minister taken place then it would have been communicated to us.”
Sources in the Foreign Affairs Ministry said the US official might have met Pakistani officials at low level but at high level no meeting had taken place.[/HI]
