President shelves visit to Turkmenistan
ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain has postponed a scheduled official visit to Turkmenistan because Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is also going to the country this month to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the much-awaited Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (Tapi) gas pipeline project.
A source in the presidency told Dawn that the president was scheduled to visit Turkmenistan on Dec 11, to attend an international conference after which bilateral talks were to be held between the two sides. But, the visit has been postponed because the prime minister is going to Turkmenistan on Dec 19.
Also read: Turkmenistan to start building TAPI pipeline in early Dec: govt official
According to reports, the 1,735km pipeline will supply up to 33 billion cubic metres of gas a year from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India over the next 30 years.
US DIPLOMAT: Ambassador-designate of the United States to Pakistan, David M. Hale, presented his credentials to President Hussain at the presidency on Thursday.
The president’s spokesman said that the ambassador discussed matters of mutual interest with the president.
He quoted the president as saying that Pakistan wanted to promote friendly and cordial relations with the US.
He said that Pakistan had rendered immense sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and was cooperating with the international community to end the menace and restore peace in the region.
He said that Zarb-i-Azb operation was progressing well and would continue till elimination of the last terrorist.
Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2015