John Kerry phones PM Nawaz

ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State John Kerry telephoned Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the PM House said on Tuesday.

The phone call came in the backdrop of the upcoming talks that are to take place between Prime Minister’s Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval on August 23.

Sources privy to the matter confirmed to The Express Tribune that Kerry spoke to the premier regarding the bilateral talks between India and Pakistan.

“US has stakes in the region and its influence is essential for the talks between the two countries,” the sources said, adding that the US wanted talks between the two countries to resume.

Earlier on Monday, US State Department spokesperson John Kirby, during the daily press briefing in Washington, strongly condemned the terrorist attack on Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada which killed 20 people, including the minister. He added that the United States remains committed to the people of Pakistan and the government in fighting terrorism. Asked about recent violence in Afghanistan and future of the peace talks, Kirby said that the US was concerned about the recent spike in violence, but largely dismissed it as the summer surge in Taliban activity.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2015.