Anti-Trump protests in Pakistan halt U.S. official visit

Pakistan has postponed a visit by a U.S. acting Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells amid protests against President Donald Trump's accusations that Islamabad was harboring terrorists to prolong war in Afghanistan.

The visit of Wells, who is the acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Asian Affairs, scheduled for Monday, would have been the first high-profile visit by a US official since Trump's new Afghanistan policy was announced on August 21.

The talks proposed talks on three levels involving cabinet, foreign affairs and security were aimed to explore how the United States and Pakistan could rebuild their relations under the guidelines set by President Donald Trump.

"The visit of acting Assistant Secretary Alice Wells has been postponed on Pakistan's request. It will be rescheduled at a mutually convenient time," the Dawn quoted a senior State Department official, as saying.

The rescheduling of Wells' visit was the second such request from Islamabad in less than a week.

The rescheduling of talks between Pakistan and the U.S. high profile officials on the new American strategy for South Asia is a major setback as earlier, Pakistan had requested rescheduling of Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif's visit to Washington, who was expected to be in the White House on Aug 25 on an invitation from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Between 100 and 150 protesters carrying placards bearing pictures of President Trump and chanting anti-U.S. slogans were stopped by police as the protests were moving toward the U.S. consulate building in Karachi

But there is also a third visit of a U.S. delegation led by senior White House National Security Council official Lisa Curtis which is also likely to be rescheduled.