US Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived here on Wednesday to hold talks with Pakistani leaders on wide range of subjects including Pak-US relations, peace initiatives between Pakistan and India and nuclear proliferation.
The US Secretary of State is in Pakistan on the last leg of his visit including India and Afghanistan.
Powell is also to discuss the ongoing war on terror with particular stress on operation to apprehend on the run fugitives on the Pak-Afghan border.
Powell will meet President General Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali and Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri on Thursday before departing for Middle East.
This is Powell's fourth visit to Islamabad. He is accompanied among others by Under Secretary of Economics, Business, and agriculture affairs Allen Larson and Christina Rocca.
Later, US Ambassador Nancy Powell hosted a dinner for US Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar, Information and Broadcasting Minister Sheikh Rashid and prominent political leaders attended the dinner.
Before leaving Kabul for Islamabad, the US secretary of state said Pakistan is stepping up efforts to crush militants in tribal areas near the Afghan border.
"The action in Pakistan on Wednesday suggests that Pakistanis have picked up the pace and we hope they continue to do that," Powell told a news conference, referring to an attack on tribal and foreign fighters near the Afghan border on Tuesday.
"It shows the intention on the part of Pakistan not to allow these tribal areas to be used as a haven," Powell said.
He said any militants forced out of Pakistan back into Afghanistan would be dealt with by US and Afghan forces.