US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher paid an unannounced visit to Pakistan Friday to prepare strategic bilateral talks that are to take place amid rising political tensions in the South Asian country, according to DPA. Boucher's consultations precede scheduled visits next week to both Afghanistan and Pakistan by Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, US officials in Islamabad said. Negroponte is due to meet two key US partners in the war against terrorism, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, to discuss progress in cooperation since 2001. Two days of talks are planned in Islamabad under the US-Pakistan Strategic Partnership dialogue, which covers joint efforts in counterterrorism, education, economic activities, and science and technology. Boucher was also expected to meet Friday with Musharraf.
