New Kerala : Negroponte to visit Pakistan in September

Negroponte to visit Pakistan in September

Washington | Aug.16, 2007

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte will visit Islamabad for three days from September 10 to 12.

Negroponte's visit is being seen as a sign of Washington's anxiety over the uncertain political situation in Pakistan, reports the Daily Times.

Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher is in Islamabad, his fourth visit this year.

The Bush Administration is said to be unsure about the longevity of the Musharraf regime in the wake of recent developments such as the Lal Masjid operation, the reinstatement of Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, the collapse of the peace deal in tribal dominated Waziristan, and moves to impose an emergency.

Further muddying the political waters in Pakistan is the Supreme Court's decision to hear the Sharifs' petition for their return to Pakistan on August 23, which could sabotage the Musharraf-Benazir power-sharing arrangement, claims the paper.

--- ANI