ISI chief heads to US on first ever official visit

The chief of Pakistan's premier intelligence service, Rizwan Akhtar, left Wednesday on his first ever visit of the US to hold talks with top intelligence officials there on regional security, Afghanistan and counter-terrorism, media reports here said.

Announcing the visit of Akhtar, director general of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the daily Dawn cited the military's unified public relations system ISPR as saying that "The DG ISI has proceeded to the US for an official visit".

"During the visit, he would meet his counterparts and discuss issues related to intelligence," a spokesman for the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

According to sources, Akhtar will meet senior officials at the National Security Council (NSC) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief John O. Brennan.

Earlier in November last year, Pakistan Army Chief Gen. Raheel Sharif visited the US where he held talks with senior US military commanders and defence officials.

During his visit, Sharif also called on US Central Command (Centcom) chief Gen. Lloyd J. Austin who praised the Pakistan Army for its commitment, professionalism and achievement in the fight against terror.

Pakistan's fight against terrorism entered a new phase after the Dec 16 Peshawar school tragedy with the government categorically stating that the distinction between "good" and "bad" Taliban has been given up.

On Dec 16, 2014, Pakistani Taliban attacked an army-run public school in Peshawar city of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, killing over 140 school children and staff.