Zardari, top US commander meet
June 26th, 2010 - 11:29 pm ICT by IANS
Islamabad, June 26 (IANS) Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari met US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen Saturday and discussed the fight against militancy and the regional security situation.
Pakistani Army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and US Ambassador Anne W. Patterson were also present during the meeting, Xinhua quoted a brief statement from the president’s office as saying.
Mullen arrived in Pakistan to meet with Pakistani leaders and US embassy officials here, the embassy said.
He will also meet Kayani and the air force chief, Air Chief Marshal Qamar Suleman, separately, a US embassy statement said.
Sources said that Mullen’s visit is aimed at taking into confidence the Pakistani political and military leadership about the sacking of the top US commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal.
McChrystal was sacked by President Barack Obama for making derogatory remarks about the president and his team in a magazine interview.
The US admiral arrived in Islamabad after travelling to Kabul to assure Afghan leaders that there will be no change in the US policy after the removal of McChrystal.
US Vice President Joe Biden had called up President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to take them into confidence about the change of command in Afghanistan.
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- Ex-NATO commander McChrystal cleared of wrongdoing in Rolling Stone piece - Apr 19, 2011
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- Mullen confirms Zardari feared military coup - Nov 17, 2011
- Won't support any coup, says Imran Khan - Jan 12, 2012
- 'Angry' Obama recalls Afghan commander to Washington - Jun 23, 2010
- Zardari instucted Haqqani on memo: Ijaz - Feb 23, 2012
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