Kerry to visit Pakistan in July

Islamabad: US Secretary of State John Kerry is likely to visit Pakistan in July, a senior aide to the prime minister told the National Assembly on Tuesday, following reports the visit has been delayed due to aggravating crisis in Syria.

Sartaj Aziz, adviser to the country’s chief executive on national security and foreign affairs, said the issue of US drone strikes in Pakistani tribal areas would be taken up with Secretary Kerry during his visit.

The Pakistani Foreign Office had stated on Thursday that Kerry was expected at the end of June.

Diplomatic sources said Kerry informed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif when he talked to him by telephone on Sunday about the delay of his visit to Islamabad because of the Syria conflict.

Responding to calls by opposition lawmakers for action over drone attacks, Aziz said a new policy was being evolved to bring such strikes to an end.

The adviser said Pakistan had already conveyed serious concerns to the US over drone strikes and it would continue to raise the issue at all the forums.

The drone campaign is counter-productive and violates Pakistan’s sovereignty and national integrity, he said, recalling that the prime minister in his first speech in the parliament on June 5 had categorically demanded an end to drone attacks.

He said Pakistan had lodged a strong protest with the US over the drone strike carried out in the North Waziristan tribal area on June 7, two days after the new government took over the reins.

The adviser told the assembly that 115 drone attacks were carried out in 2010‚ 62 in 2011, 45 in 2012 and 13 so far this year.

Instead of pursuing a policy of threat “we need to resolve this issue through talks”, Aziz said, pointing out that drone campaign was an obstacle to forging better relations with the US. He said he hoped that the government would succeed in persuading the US to halt drone attacks.