By IANS,
Islamabad : US President Barack Obama has told Islamabad he doesn’t want to bracket his visit to Pakistan with India because adding it would mean spending only half a day in the country, which would be unfair, Pakistan’s ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani said.
Haqqani called up Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to brief him on the meeting which the Pakistan delegation had with Obama Thursday, the News International reported Friday.
Obama had earlier this week told Pakistan that he would visit the country next year and wouldn’t be stopping there on a trip early next month to Asia, including a visit to India.
A White House statement said: “President (Obama) explained that he would not be stopping in Pakistan during his trip to Asia next month, and committed to visiting Pakistan in 2011, as well as welcoming (Pakistani) President (Asif Ali) Zardari to Washington.”
Obama told a Pakistani delegation led by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi that he was the first US president who went to Pakistan before becoming president.
Haqqani stated that Obama while referring to his forthcoming visit said he did not want to bracket his visit to Pakistan with India.
The US president said that he would visit Pakistan next year in its own right as a strategic partner, the media report said.
“If he would add Pakistan in his forthcoming visit he would only be able to spend half a day which would not be fair to a friendly country,” Haqqani was quoted as saying.