PM Imran meets US Senator Graham to discuss Pak-US ties

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday met United States Senator Lindsey Graham in Islamabad to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was also present on the occasion as the prime minister and the senator discussed ways of improving the relationship between Pakistan and the US.

Graham, the head of the US Senate Judiciary Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, had earlier met Prime Minister Imran on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in September.

They had also held a meeting in July when the prime minister had traveled to the US on a week-long official tour to mend the strained relationship between Islamabad and Washington.

Graham, at times considered an aide to US President Donald Trump, has been a vocal advocate of revitalising US-Pakistan ties in the interest of regional peace and security.

Separately, US Senator Lindsey Graham also met Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa. 

According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army cheif and the US senator discussed "regional security including Afghan reconciliation process".

The military's media wing said that Senator Graham acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts towards regional peace and stability.

Last week, US Special Envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalizad had met high-ranking officials in Pakistan after the US resumed peace talks with Taliban earlier this month following a brief pause. 

Pakistan has on numerous occasions called for a political solution to the Afghan conflict, and even facilitated the engagement between the US and the Taliban in a bid to end the armed conflict in the war-torn neighbouring country.