Top US Senator meets Raheel to mend strained bilateral ties

Pakistan and the US must strive for greater coordination for establishing peace in the region, a top American Senator said as he held talks with army chief General Raheel Sharif amid strains in bilateral ties over the scuttling of F-16 fighter jets deal and the US drone strikes.
Senator John McCain, Chairman of US Senate Arms Services committee, held a crucial overnight meeting with the army chief to "smoothen the frayed relations" between the two countries after the tension due to the drone strike that killed Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour, officials said.
McCain, accompanied by a congressional delegation including Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Joe Donnelly arrived last evening, and held the meeting with General Raheel in Rawalpindi.

The army, in a late last night statement, said matters of mutual interest and regional security with particular reference to Afghanistan situation were discussed.
"The COAS dilated upon security challenges faced by Pakistan and Pakistan's contribution in regional stability and global peace," it said.
The army chief said a stable Afghanistan is in Pakistan's interest and relationship between both countries hold key for regional peace and security.

Senator McCain said Pakistan and US need to cement relations in all dimensions and must strive for greater coordination for optimal deliverance of peace dividend in the region.
Earlier, US Special Representative ambassador Richard Olson held a separate meeting with the army chief and discussed the recent strains in the ties.

Olson also met foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry and "discussed the regional security situation and efforts for peace and stability in Afghanistan," according to Foreign Office.
The Pak-US ties strained after Congressional restriction on financing of F-16 fighter jet's sale from Foreign Military Financing programme, due to which Pakistan could not buy the jets.
The relationship further suffered when the US carried out a drone strike in Balochistan, killing the Taliban chief, which was termed by Pakistani leadership a violation of the country's sovereignty.
According to sources, it is believed that the real source of tension between the two countries is the US' demand that Pakistan should act against the Haqqani network and stop all alleged support to Afghan Taliban who are involved in horrendous attack in the country.

The US also wants Pakistan to use its influence over Taliban to pursue it to unconditionally join the Afghan peace talks without any further delay.
Pakistan has maintained that it was already taking action against all militants and it was only matter of "sequencing" the targets.