Obama to grill Sharif on extremism, security issues on Oct 23

U.S. President Barack Obama will ask Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to improve relations with Washington and India during the latter's visit to the White House on 23rd October.

The announcement of Sharif's visit came from the White House, as the Pakistan head met Secretary of State John Kerry on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

In a statement, White House spokesman Jay Carney said that Obama looked forward to discuss the ways to advance their common interest of a stable, secure and prosperous Pakistan.

According to Dawn News, he said that the visit will highlight the importance and resilience of the US-Pakistan relationship.

He added that it will also provide an opportunity for the U.S. to strengthen cooperation on issues of mutual concern, such as energy, trade and economic development, regional stability, and countering violent extremism.

The announcement of Sharif's visit came on the eve of a meeting between Obama and Indian Premier Manmohan Singh at the White House on Friday.

Singh and Sharif are expected to meet at the weekend at the UN General Assembly in an attempt to quell rising border tensions between the rivals.

The officials predicted a "full agenda" for the White House talks but also warned of 'frank discussions about some serious challenges and some serious concerns,' the report added.