US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher paid an unannounced visit to Pakistan on Friday to prepare strategic bilateral talks that are to take place amid rising political tensions in the country.
Boucher's consultations precede scheduled visits next week to both Afghanistan and Pakistan by Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, US officials in Islamabad said.
Negroponte is due to meet two key US partners in the war against terrorism, President Pervez Musharraf and Afghan President Hamid Karzai to discuss progress in co-operation since 2001. Two days of talks are planned in Islamabad under the US-Pakistan Strategic Partnership dialogue, which covers joint efforts in counter-terrorism, education, economic activities, and science and technology. Boucher was also expected to meet on Friday with President Musharraf.