Amid media reports back home of an undercurrent of tension with the Nawaz Sharif Government, Pakistan’s Army chief General Raheel Sharif has arrived on a five-day US visit reportedly arranged at his own request.
During the trip that comes barely three weeks after Prime Minister Sharif visited Washington, Gen Sharif is slated to have key meetings with both US military and political leadership, with his talks expected to focus on the Afghanistan peace process as well as India-Pak ties.
He is likely to meet with Secretary of State John Kerry, Defence Secretary Ashton Carter, National Security Advisor Susan Rice and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Joseph Dunford.
Just ahead of the visit, a Pakistani web portal
spoke of tensions between Pakistan’s civil and military leaderships over the implementation of Pakistan’s National Action Plan to crack down on terrorism.
It also quoted the Dawn newspaper as saying that Prime Minister Sharif was “particularly not comfortable” with the General’s visits to US and Saudi Arabia since the civilian leadership has already held meetings with top officials of both countries.
“The visit is very significant as it is taking place at a time when important changes are taking place in our region and situation is changing,” Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations Director lt General Asim Bajwa was quoted by Pakistani media saying.
He said the General’s talks will include both bilateral military-to-military relations and issues of regional security and stability.