Islamabad, 4 December, 2023 (GNP): This month, three U.S. officials are set to visit Pakistan for consultations on various matters, including the situation in Afghanistan, as announced by the Foreign Office in a statement on Sunday.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the spokesperson for the Foreign Office (FO), mentioned that Pakistan and the United States are engaging in reciprocal visits to accelerate the consultation process. She also noted that significant US officials are scheduled to visit Pakistan in the upcoming days.
Islamabad has consistently accused Kabul of being responsible for the increasing terrorist attacks. Notably, Pakistan has urged the Taliban-led government to extradite Hafiz Gul Bahadur following a terrorist incident in Bannu involving an individual affiliated with his group.
On the other hand, Pakistan is actively deporting illegal Afghan residents, citing a surge in terrorist attacks within its borders as a primary reason for this stringent action.
The Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, Julieta Valls Noyes, is set to visit the country from December 4 to 6.
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As per the statement, her agenda includes meetings with senior government officials, along with engagements with non-governmental and international organization partners, as communicated by the US State Department.
Noyes’ visit will focus on discussions regarding collaborative initiatives to safeguard vulnerable individuals and expedite the secure and efficient relocation and resettlement of Afghan refugees within the U.S. immigration process.
The Foreign Office spokesperson announced that Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West is also scheduled to visit Islamabad from December 7 to 9, followed by a visit from Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Pakistan Elizabeth Horst from December 9 to 12.
These visits are integral to the ongoing negotiations with the US, covering various issues, not solely confined to the situation in Afghanistan, as stated by the spokesperson.
