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U.S. official arrives in Pakistan capital on emergency |
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08:20, November 17, 2007 |
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte arrived here Friday for talks with Pakistani leaders over "the issues of mutual concern", according to an official of the U.S. embassy to Pakistan.
U.S. embassy spokesperson Elizabeth O Colton did not offer any comment about the engagements of Negroponte's visit in Pakistan.
"I am just confirming his arrival at the moment and can not say anything more," she said.
Negroponte is the first senior U.S. official to visit Pakistan since President General Pervez Musharraf proclaimed emergency on Nov. 3.
U.S. President George W. Bush and other top officials have been calling on Musharraf to quit as army chief, lift emergency and hold fair and transparent elections.
There has also been no word about Negroponte's meetings with Pakistani leaders but the local media reported that he will meet with Musharraf to convey to him to rescind emergency rule and allow free and fair elections.
Deputy State Department spokesman Tom Casey said ahead of Negroponte's visit that he would provide the same message in private to Pakistani officials that Washington had been saying in public.
Local press reports said that Negroponte would also try to revive the talks process between Musharraf and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
Source: Xinhua
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