ISLAMABAD, June 13 (Reuters): A senior US official visiting Islamabad this week was expected to offer some support for President Pervez Musharraf, while staying out of a crisis brought on by his attempt to oust Pakistan's top judge.
Having arrived in the Pakistani capital overnight, Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher was due to meet Foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri Wednesday, and Musharraf possibly the next day.
Visiting US officials usually focus on the need to intensify efforts to destroy surviving al Qaeda networks and help quash a Taliban insurgency in neighboring Afghanistan.
But Boucher's discussions will inevitably also focus on a crisis brewing ahead of elections due in Pakistan this year.
Although Boucher, who handles South Asia, is expected to praise General Musharraf as an ally in the war on terrorism, what he says to the general about the need to promote democracy will probably remain private.
Addressing a news conference in Washington Monday, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack set the tone for Boucher's visit, alluding to progress Musharraf has made in political and economic reforms since coming to power in a coup in 1999.
McCormack touched on an issue analysts believe lies at the heart of the political crisis -- President Musharraf's dual role as army chief, which he is required to give up by the year end.
US seen balancing support for Musharraf
FE Team | Published: June 14, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
Share if you like