WASHINGTON: US State Department Counselor Derek Chollet will lead a delegation to Pakistan this week as Washington and Islamabad seek to repair ties strained under former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The US delegation will visit Bangladesh and Pakistan from Feb 14 to 18 to meet with senior government officials, civil society members and business leaders, the State Department said in a statement on Monday.
Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in parliament last April, had antagonised the United States throughout his tenure. He welcomed the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 and accused Washington of being behind the attempt to oust him in 2022.
Washington and Pakistan’s National Security Council, a body of top civil and military leaders, dismissed his accusations. Khan was succeeded as prime minister by Shehbaz Sharif.
The US delegation’s visit comes as the US$350 billion economy of Pakistan is still reeling from devastating floods last year that left at least 1,700 people dead, and the government estimates rebuilding efforts will cost US$16 billion.
The nuclear-armed nation is in the grip of a full-blown economic crisis. Talks between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund were scheduled to resume online this week after 10 days of face-to-face discussions in Islamabad on how to keep the country afloat ended without a deal on Friday.