Senator John Kerry, Chairman US Senate's Foreign Relation Committee and one of the authors of the controversial US legislation (Kerry-Lugar Bill) for tripling non-military aid to Pakistan, arrived here on late Sunday night on two-day visit.
During his stay here, the influential US Senator will hold meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Foreign Minsiter Shah Mehmood Qureshi, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Pervaz Kayani, Director General Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Ahmed Shuja Pasha and others senior civil and military officials. The US Senator would take the Pakistani authorities into confidence over the bill by explaining its some controversial clauses.
Prime objective of his visit to Pakistan is to allay the fears and apprehensions raised by various sections of Pakistani society on the conditionalities attached with the US aid package under the Kerry-Lugar Act. Senator Kerry would be accompanied by senior US officials who will analyse the proposed schemes to be funded through the US aid coming to Pakistan under the law. Senator Kerry would also have interactions with senior anchors and editors of major newspapers in a bid to remove the apprehensions of media.