Pakistan wants Obama too, ups pressure on US

In a balancing act, US president Barack Obama may make a surprise visit to Islamabad immediately after his visit to India early next month. According to media reports here, Pakistan has launched hectic diplomatic efforts to ensure that Obama’s trip to the region includes it too.

“We believe the American president must visit Pakistan while touring India. If he does not visit Islamabad, it will not go down well with the public here,” a senior foreign office official in Islamabad said on the condition of anonymity. The issue will also be raised during the ongoing Pak-US strategic dialogue, he added.

If Obama accepts the invitation, he would be the first US president to visit Pakistan when a democratic government is in place.

When contacted, foreign office spokesperson Abdul Basit said Pakistan had already extended an invitation but was not aware whether Obama would be coming down. US embassy spokesperson in Islamabad Alberto Rodriguez said the itinerary does not include Pakistan at the moment. However, some diplomatic and foreign office sources claim the visit might be kept under wraps for security reasons. They say even former US president Bill Clinton did not make public his plan to visit Pakistan
in 2000.

Some Western media reports have already indicated that the Obama administration is considering a $2-billion package to encourage the Pakistan army to go after militants in South Waziristan.

Similarly, Obama may announce the new package for Islamabad during a visit to the country.