US Defence Secretary in Pakistan to repair ties

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel today held talks with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and new army chief Gen Raheel Sharif on key issues like the Afghan situation and the CIA's drone campaign as part of a push by Washington to remove strains from bilateral relations.

The first visit to the country by an American Defence Secretary in nearly four years came against the backdrop of efforts by the US to defuse tensions over controversial drone strikes and Pakistan's role in Afghanistan.

Hagel called on Sharif and held "in-depth exchanges" on a range of issues of mutual interest.

They agreed to "work together to strengthen Pakistan-US relations and advance the shared interest of a stable, secure and prosperous Pakistan and the region", said a statement from Pakistan's Foreign Office.
 

Sharif "conveyed Pakistan's deep concern over continuing US drone strikes", and said these attacks were "counter-productive to our efforts to combat terrorism and extremism on an enduring basis".

The two leaders discussed the situation in Afghanistan, and Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan's support for the Afghan peace and reconciliation process.

The statement said "substantial progress" had been made in bilateral ties in recent months. Recent high-level exchanges, including Sharif's visit to Washington and meetings of the Working Groups on Defence and Security and Non-proliferation and Disarmament, had "greatly helped in building trust".

Hagel and Sharif also reviewed defence and security cooperation and explored ways to expand ties in this field. Sharif stressed the need for long-term and broad-based defence cooperation on the basis of mutual interest.

Soon after his arrival, Hagel drove straight to Army Headquarters in Rawalpindi for talks with Gen Sharif. "Issues concerning defence relationship, Pak-US bilateral ties and regional stability came under discussion," said a brief statement from the Pakistani military.