ISI chief's US visit put off

New ISI chief Lt Gen Zahir-ul-Islam’s planned visit to Washington this week has been put off due to unspecified reasons against the backdrop of strains in the US-Pakistan relations.

Islam, who became the ISI head in March, was expected to travel to the US at the invitation of CIA chief David Petraeus. No new schedule has been announced for the visit, The News reported on Monday quoting its sources.

The report said “contacts between the defence establishments of the two countries are still at the lowest ebb.”

However, the two countries have initiated negotiations on intricate issues and the US has designated Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides as its pointman for the talks while Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh will represent Pakistan, the report said.

Shaikh and Nides have discussed the steps to be followed for the negotiations, which will also focus on the issue of reopening supply routes for Nato forces in Afghanistan, the report said.