Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Alice Wells’s visit to Pakistan has been postponed.

 According to the United States Embassy, the official visit of Alice Wells was postponed upon the request of the government of Pakistan.

 Alice Wells was supposed to visit Pakistan in the upcoming week as tensions between US and the Islamic Republic turned sour after President Trump’s accusations against Pakistan.

 Following Trump’s incendiary remarks, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif delayed his

 tour to the United States and said that he could visit China, Russia before US.

 The spokesperson for the US embassy says that due to senior officials being tied up with prior commitments and having no time, Wells has put off her tour.

 The spokesperson said in a statement that Wells will now arrive in the country next week.

 Wells, who is also the Acting Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, will discuss the new American policy on Afghanistan and Pakistan’s reservations on the matter with the civil-military leadership, the US State Department has said.

 Her visit to Islamabad will be the American diplomat’s second this month which follows President Donald Trump’s announcement of new Afghan policy with deployment of thousands more troops in the war-torn country and pillorying Pakistan for offering safe haven to militants. </s> ISLAMABAD: US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells will visit Pakistan tomorrow. The visit holds great importance as she is the first high-level US official to arrive, after US President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of harboring terrorists.

The US State Department announced on Saturday that Alice Well would meet the civil and military leadership. This would be her second visit to Islamabad in the month. Earlier Wells met Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad. </s> ISLAMABAD: Acting US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Alice Wells postponed her scheduled trip to Islamabad, the US Embassy in Pakistan confirmed on Sunday.

Earlier, the US State Department had issued a statement that Alice Wells would travel to Islamabad, Dhaka (Bangladesh) and Colombo (Sri Lanka) from August 28 to September 2, where she was set to meet with government officials, business leaders, and civil society representatives to discuss US cooperation in the region.

According to US Embassy spokesman, the government of Pakistan requested to postpone the scheduled visit of Alice Wells, acting assistant Secretary of State for South and Asian Affairs.

The visit of Alice Wells, scheduled for Monday, would have been the first high-profile visit by a US official since Trump’s Afghan policy speech on August 21.

The new date of the visit has not been decided, while US Embassy spokesman said that Wells visit to Pakistan will be rescheduled after mutual understanding of both countries.

US and Pakistan have been experiencing critical times of relations since US president Donald Trump announced his strategy for the region on Tuesday, harshly criticising Pakistan for providing a safe haven to "agents of chaos".

Trump cleared the way for the deployment of thousands more US troops to Afghanistan, backtracking from his promise to rapidly end America's longest war, while pillorying ally Pakistan.

In response to Trump's 'disappointing' accusations, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi chaired the meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC), where Pakistan’s top security body discussed the recent review of US policy for the Pak-Afghan region and strongly rejected certain allegations leveled against the country. </s> Pakistan on Sunday postponed a visit by the United States Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Asian Affairs Alice Wells, that was scheduled for Monday, Reuters reported. Islamabad’s move came six days after US President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of giving safe haven to terrorists.

“At the request of the Government of Pakistan, Acting Assistant Secretary Wells’ trip has been postponed until a mutually convenient time,” US embassy spokesperson Rick Sinelsine said. While neither Pakistan nor the US has given an official reason for the postponement, US embassy officials working in Pakistan have been on high alert since Trump’s speech on August 21.

Meanwhile, 100 to 150 members of the Imamia Students Organisation, carrying placards against Trump and chanting anti-US slogans organised a protest in Karachi on Sunday. The protesters moved towards the US consulate in the city, but were stopped by police and not allowed within three kilometres of the building. </s> ISLAMABAD (REUTERS) - Pakistan postponed a visit by a United States acting assistant Secretary of State, officials said, as small protests broke out against President Donald Trump's accusations that Islamabad was prolonging the war in Afghanistan.

The visit of Alice Wells, acting assistant Secretary of State for South and Asian Affairs, scheduled for Monday (Aug 28), would have been the first high-profile visit by a US official since Mr Trump's Afghan policy speech on Aug 21.

"At the request of the Government of Pakistan, Acting Assistant Secretary Wells' trip has been postponed until a mutually convenient time," a US Embassy spokesperson told Reuters in Islamabad on Sunday.

Pakistan's foreign ministry released a statement with similar wording. Neither side gave a reason for the postponement, but US officials working in Pakistan have been on high-alert since Mr Trump's speech last Monday.

Mr Trump accused Pakistan of harbouring "agents of chaos" and providing safe havens to militant groups waging an insurgency against a US-backed government in Kabul.

Pakistani officials responded by saying the US should not"scapegoat" Pakistan and accused the American military of failing to eliminate militant sanctuaries inside Afghanistan.

In the southern metropolis of Karachi, police fired teargas at protesters from a religious student group as they began moving toward the US consulate building.

Between 100 and 150 protesters carrying placards bearing pictures of President Trump and chanting anti-US slogans were kept at bay by police and not allowed within 3 km of the consulate.

On Friday, banned Islamist organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawa, held responsible by Washington and New Delhi for a series of coordinated attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai in 2008, staged nationwide protests but also failed to draw large numbers. </s> ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan postponed a visit by a U.S. acting Assistant Secretary of State, officials said, as small protests broke out against President Donald Trump’s accusations that Islamabad was prolonging the war in Afghanistan.

Placards are seen left by the Shi'ite supporters of Imamia Students Organization (ISO) after police dispersed them during a protest rally against the U.S. President Donald Trump, in Karachi, Pakistan August 27, 2017. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro

The visit of Alice Wells, acting assistant Secretary of State for South and Asian Affairs, scheduled for Monday, would have been the first high-profile visit by a U.S. official since Trump’s Afghan policy speech on Aug. 21.

“At the request of the Government of Pakistan, Acting Assistant Secretary Wells’ trip has been postponed until a mutually convenient time,” a U.S. Embassy spokesperson told Reuters in Islamabad on Sunday.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry released a statement with similar wording.

Neither side gave a reason for the postponement, but U.S. officials working in Pakistan have been on high-alert since Monday’s speech.

Trump accused Pakistan of harboring “agents of chaos” and providing safe havens to militant groups waging an insurgency against a U.S.-backed government in Kabul.

Pakistani officials responded by saying the U.S. should not “scapegoat” Pakistan and accused the American military of failing to eliminate militant sanctuaries inside Afghanistan.

In the southern metropolis of Karachi, police fired teargas at protesters from a religious student group as they began moving toward the U.S. consulate building.

Between 100 and 150 protesters carrying placards bearing pictures of President Trump and chanting anti-U.S. slogans were kept at bay by police and not allowed within 3 km (2 miles) of the consulate.

On Friday, banned Islamist organization Jamaat-ud-Dawa, held responsible by Washington and New Delhi for a series of coordinated attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai in 2008, staged nationwide protests but also failed to draw large numbers. </s> A top US official's visit to Islamabad has been postponed at the request of the Pakistan government amid anti-American protests in Karachi, according to media reports.

Pakistan's Dawn daily on Sunday quoted US Embassy spokesman Rick Sinelsine as saying that the trip by Alice Wells, the Acting Assistant Secretary of State in-charge of South and Central Asia, was "postponed until a mutually convenient time" at the request of the Pakistani government.

Wells would have been the first high-level official to visit Pakistan after Donald Trump last week issued the bluntest warning so far by a US President that "it has much to lose by continuing to harbour terrorists".

Samaa TV reported that police baton-charged and tear-gassed a protest rally by Imamia Student Organisation (ISO) in Karachi on Sunday "to condemn recent US allegations on Pakistan" as it tried to move towards the American consulate in the port city.

Wells, was slated to meet government and civil society leaders in Pakistan during the visit that was to begin on Monday.

According to the US State Department, Wells was also scheduled to visit Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The News International characterised Islamabad's demand to postpone the visit as an act of defiance.

"It is not often that the Pakistani government has shown spine in the face of threats from Washington and by telling the State Department that officials concerned are not available, a clear message has gone through that enough is enough," it wrote.

The Daily Times reported that Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif told reporters in Sialkot that the Taliban were the problem of the US and Afghanistan and not of Pakistan.

"If the US doesn't trust us, it should repatriate Afghan immigrants in Pakistan itself," the daily quoted him as saying.

Pakistani media reported that China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi "reaffirmed its continuing support to Pakistan and vowed to further strengthen strategic friendship with it" during a meeting with Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua in Beijing.

Meanwhile on Sunday, Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa met with General Li Zuocheng, Chief of Staff of China's People's Liberation Army, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Radio Pakistan reported.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Quadrilateral Counter Terrorism Coordination Mechanism (QCCM) meeting. </s> Pakistan has postponed a visit by a US diplomat who had been due to arrive Monday, a week after President Donald Trump publicly upbraided Islamabad for harbouring militants attacking US and Afghan troops.

The delegation led by Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Alice Wells was set to be the first major visit by an American official since the president's comments.

"At the request of the Gov't of Pakistan, the visit of the US delegation has been postponed until a mutually convenient time," the foreign ministry said late Sunday.

In a major speech outlining US policy on Afghanistan Trump slammed Pakistan for offering safe havens to "agents of chaos" and suggested relations would be adjusted immediately. He offered few details.

Successive US administrations have criticised Pakistan for maintaining links with the Taliban and harbouring leading jihadists -- like Osama bin Laden.

Following Trump's remarks, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also cautioned that Pakistan could lose its status as a major US ally and see its US military aid suspended.

Pakistan's powerful military chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, in comments after the speech, demanded "trust" rather than continued financial aid from Washington.

Islamabad has repeatedly denied claims of being soft on militancy, accusing its ally of ignoring the thousands who have been killed in Pakistan and the billions spent fighting extremists. </s> Pakistan has postponed a visit by a top US diplomat who had been due to arrive here today, days after President Donald Trump publicly rebuked Islamabad for providing safe havens to agents of chaos that kill Americans. Alice Wells, the acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs and acting Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, was set to be the first major American official to visit the country since the president’s comments, but her visit has been put off by the Pakistan government “until a mutually convenient time”.

The Foreign Office did not give any reason for postponing the visit. But government sources said Islamabad was still evolving a response to the US accusations that Pakistan was providing safe havens to militants and prolonging the US’ 16-year Afghan war. It would be “premature” to interact with the senior US state department official at this time, they added.

In Washington, the state department confirmed Wells’ trip has been postponed at the Pakistan government’s “request”, but it too did not provide any reason for delaying the visit. Wells’ visit was scheduled as part of her three-nation South Asia tour. She would continue with her trip to Dhaka and Colombo, according to the state department.

The Pakistan government has tasked Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif to garner support from friendly countries. He is expected to visit China, Russia and Turkey next week in the first phase of the country’s regional diplomatic outreach. Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Wednesday visited Saudi Arabia and held talks with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

News reports in Pakistan said he was accompanied by Asif on the trip and discussed the US’ new Afghan strategy there. The Pakistan-US ties received a fresh jolt on Saturday when Gen John Nicholson, the top US commander in Afghanistan, claimed in a TV interview that his country was aware of Afghan Taliban leadership’s presence in Peshawar and Quetta.

Pakistan has repeatedly denied it hosts the Taliban. Asif yesterday said the Afghan Taliban were the US and Afghanistan’s problem, not Pakistan’s.

He told reporters in Sialkot that Pakistan has been hosting the Afghan refugees for decades and the US “should help to repatriate them back to Afghanistan if they do not trust us.”

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App </s> ALICE Wells, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs has twice visited Pakistan in a month. She has met Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua, Gen Naseer Janjua, National Security Adviser and even with Army Chief, Gen Qamar Jawed Bajwa. It is pertinent to note that the visiting US Deputy Assistant Secretary emphasized Pakistan during these visits to do more against terrorism. On April 23, 2018 during her talks with Pakistani Foreign Secretary Ms Tehmina, she specially emphasised Pakistan to “act against the Haqqani Network along the Pak-Afghan border.” This is absolutely nonsense that all US officials and even US President and Vice President have nothing else to say, but to accuse Pakistan and demand to do more. They lack the courage to recognise the unprecedented sacrifices, Pakistan rendered against global war on terror.

 Earlier during US Congressional hearing, a number of Pakistan based narratives were debated. Most of the Congressional hearings had their focus to coerce Pakistan for not doing enough to fight terror as desired by US. It is not that Pakistan has not done enough, but indeed, all these debates and narratives, coming out from these debates were aimed at to pressurise Pakistan on multiple grounds so that it submit to US demands, which it has refused to do. Mainly two prong strategy was adopted in this regard. First, pressurising Pakistan through economic penalties and second, isolating it at diplomatic level.

 At economic level, U.S is making use of inter-government organizations like Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to pressurise Pakistan by placing it on various lists. FATF gets data from third party and being manipulated by powerful countries like US, despite having a strong global network of FATF-Style Regional Bodies (FSRBs), apart from its own 37 members. In a way, it is an exploitative forum for the countries not toeing the US line. In the case of Pakistan, the FATF decision to place it on its watch list (grey list) in June 2018 is prejudiced and highly influenced and manipulated by US and India. Pakistan has taken a very stern action against militant organizations and has sacrificed over 74,000 people since 200. Besides the financial losses are more than $129 billion. Therefore, blaming and listing it among the countries, financing terror or where terrorist organizations are collecting funds is a clear discrimination. Yes, Pakistan could not arrest and punished people like Hafiz Saeed on the Indian and US demands, since there was no evidence against him. He was kept under arrest many a time, but courts set aside such decisions.

 As an ungracious country, United States has always disregarded Pakistan despite remaining very close as an ally and partner for decades. Indeed a critical inquiry of Pak US relationship would reveal that US has used Pakistan for its vested interests throughout during the cold war and thereafter during war on terror. Even today, US desire that, Pakistan should behave in the same manner and submit to US desires and humiliated too. Pakistan however has refused to submit to US demands, especially after announcement of new S Asian policy (US Afghan policy) in Aug 2017. Though Government and people of Pakistan have unanimously rejected US South Asian policy, but US and India are trying to exploit Pakistan on unfounded allegations.

 In Pakistan, the National Security Council (NSC), the Cabinet and later the National Assembly condemned the policy parameters announced by President Trump. In this policy, a clear discrimination was shown towards Pakistan, which has contributed more than any country or else entire international community against the menace of terrorism. This policy did not get credence even in US and scholars like, David Rothopf, criticized in the wordings, “A strategy without a strategy, a change without change, a commitment without a commitment, principled realism without principles or realism.” He even declared the new US policy as a clear shift towards India, negating Pakistani sacrifices. According to most of US and western strategists, this US policy shift has created a new disturbance and chaos in Afghanistan and the in South Asian region. In fact, the Trump policies for the region have Indian ingredients mashed with visible indicators. There policies have, “created uncertainties and further added to the regional fragility and imbalance.” Pakistan is cognizant of the new developments, taking place on its neighbourhood and at global level. India and U.S are opposing the CPEC, a project of economic prosperity for Pakistan and entire region. This mean, any progress and prosperity of Pakistan bothers Washington besides New Delhi. How can US be friend of Pakistan with such discrimination and anti-Pakistan sentiments? For Pakistan, CPEC is a matter of life and death. It has to be completed at all costs. Pakistani nation and Government is aware of the fact that, many non-state actors like Manzoor Pashteen, TTP, ISIS and even some sun-nationalists and political parties are being funded by RAW, CIA and MI to create disturbances in Pakistan on various grounds to destabilize Pakistan and create a civil war like situation. These strategies would not work anymore now, since there is awareness at all level of the state.

 Indeed, US Congressional hearings have become a tool for pressurizing other countries, working against the desires of US and Pakistan is a country which has been its constant target. US Congress always promote sub-nationalist elements like Baloch separatists and MQM in the past. During these debates at US Congressional meetings, incorrect narratives are crafted and presented without any credible evidences. Though morally it is incumbent upon US Government to stop developing such narratives against Pakistan, but, the Government of Pakistan must take measures to reduce the gaps between masses and the state institutions. Pakistani media too have a responsibility to counter these narratives through devising the alternative narratives. Indeed, convergence of Indo-US interests and making Afghanistan as a hub for furthering their objectives may create a new conflict in the region, which would harm both Pakistan and Afghanistan more than any other country. The sooner there is a realisation in Kabul and Islamabad; the better it would be for both, particularly for the over 60% youth population of both.

 — The writer, Professor of Politics and International Relations, is based in Islamabad.
Pakistan postpones a visit from U.S. acting Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells, its foreign ministry says, as some protest President Donald Trump's accusations that Pakistan is harbouring terrorists.