Negroponte, Boucher visit Khyber Agency
Bureau Report

PESHAWAR—The visiting US diplomats here Wednesday visited the provincial capital and adjoining Khyber Agency to apprise themselves about the US funded uplift projects to boost security and development in this part of the region. Deputy Secretary of State, Mr.John Negroponte and Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher held talks with officials responsible for the tribal areas near the Afghan Border in Khyber Agency.
They visited the security and development sites and held talks with officials on various issues of mutual interests. The top US diplomat met with tribal leaders and commanders of law enforcing agencies to discuss with them matters of mutual interests. Later, they also called on the NWFP Governor Awais Ahmed Ghani at Governor House and remained there for sometime, official sources said. They discussed matters of mutual interests.
Meanwhile US Secretary of State John Negroponte and Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher have hailed the role of Pakistan in the war on terror and said that US wanted to see Pakistan a democratic and prosperous country. They expressed these views while talking to tribal elders of Khyber Agency during their visit to Landi Kotal, the Agency headquarters this morning. They said that the United States would extend every support to Pakistan in the days to come.
The visiting dignitaries also expressed the confidence that the tribesmen would always uphold their traditions and would not allow elements of terror to operate from their areas. Earlier, on the representation of the tribesmen of Khyber Agency, prominent tribal elder Malik Darya Khan Afridi told the visiting US guests that the people of tribal areas are peace loving especially living in Khyber Agency and that was why peace in this agency remained exemplary. On arrival at Landi Kotal, prominent tribal elders of the agency, Political Agent, Assistant Political Agent and other high ranking officers received the dignitaries.
Hailing Pakistan’s recent progress on the pathway to democracy, the United States on Tuesday said its top diplomats are visiting the South Asian country to engage with the new Pakistani leadership on issues of common interest.
“It’s an opportunity for us to engage at a very senior level with a new Pakistani government as they are making this transition, another transition to a new phase of their democracy,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said when asked about US deputy secretary of state John Negroponte’s current visit to Pakistan.
Assistant Secretary for South Asia Richard Boucher is also accompanying the senior official and the two officials met with senior Pakistani political leaders in Islamabad.
McCormack said the Pakistanis are recently coming out of a period of time in which there was a diversion from the pathway of democracy.
“We welcome the fact that they are now back on that pathway to democracy, that they have held elections in which the Pakistani people can have confidence. There is now a new prime minister. There will be a new government. There is now a new prime minister. There will be a new government. We look forward to working with that new government as well as President Musharraf going forward,” he told reporters at the daily briefing.