INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Islamabad: Leading US Senator Lindsey Graham vowed Sunday to urge President Donald Trump to meet Imran Khan to boost Washington´s
Afghanistan peace efforts, calling Pakistani prime minister an "agent of change".The Republican -- an influential ally of Trump -- made
comments in Islamabad after assembly with Pakistani leader, saying Khan was a "new partner" who could potentially help with a peace deal in
"I'm going to urge him (Trump) to meet with prime minister as soon as practical," Graham told reporters, saying he believed Khan and Trump
would "hit whether off" because they have "similar personalities"
"Prime Minister Khan is agent of change that I´ve been looking for," he added
Ties between Washington and Islamabad have soured recently, with US officials repeatedly accusing Pakistan of turning a blind eye to or even
collaborating with Afghan Taliban, which launch attacks in Afghanistan from alleged havens along border between two countries.Trump has
repeatedly lashed out at Pakistan´s alleged duplicity, saying late final year that Islamabad does much do "a damn thing" for US.Khan has
been equally critical of Trump, saying before 2018´s election in Pakistan that a potential assembly with US president would be a "bitter
pill" to swallow.The US lawmaker´s trip to Pakistan comes as American officials have held several rounds of speechs with Taliban
representatives.Graham said a assembly between two leaders was vital to carve out a potential deal in Afghanistan
"They actually need to meet and come up with a agenda that shall push a resolution to war in Afghanistan," senator added
Graham -- once a potent critic of Trump -- has converted in recent months into an ardent defender and influential ally of president
The senator´s arrival also overlapped with an ongoing trip by US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who has been shuttling around region for
months to build support for peace initiative
Khalilzad was in Kabul final week and then flew to Pakistan were he also met with prime minister Friday as news reports in Pakistan
proposeed Islamabad was open to hosting next round of speechs with rebels.The Taliban, however, have threatened to suspend fledgling peace
efforts, accusing Washington of changing agenda of speechs and "unilatemass meeting" adding new subjects.Graham´s trip also comes after US
officials announced in December that Trump means to withdraw as many as half of 14,000 US troops deployed in Afghanistan.The assemblys are
latest in a flurry of diplomatic efforts aimed at bringing Taliban to table for negotiations with Afghan government on ending clash which
began with US invasion in 2001.TheIndianSubcontinent has not verified the content of the source
https://feedproxy.google.com/~r/com/YEor/~3/yFqHA4Yk0xI/421459-imran-khan-and-donald-trump-have-similar-personalities-top-us-senator
