Islamabad, May 07: US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage accompanied by US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Christina Rocca would arrive in Islamabad late today and meet top Pakistani leaders on Thursday. They would meet President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali to discuss the progress of the India-Pak peace initiatives and the issues relating to Pakistan and Afghanistan. Armitage and Rocca would also discuss concerns expressed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai about the infiltration of Taliban militants into Afghanistan to Pakistan, reports here said.

Ahead of his South Asia visit to discuss the fresh peace overtures by India and Pakistan, Armitage held a key meeting with ISI chief Lt Gen Ehsanul Huq in Washington yesterday.
The meeting between Armitage and Gen Haq, who arrived in Washington on Sunday for a week-long visit, took place yesterday. US officials are seeking a full briefing on militancy in Kashmir before Armitage's mission to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
Although both US and Pakistani officials refused to give any detail about his visit, Gen Huq's itinerary revealed the significance of his mission as he was scheduled to meet top American officials, local daily 'Dawn' said.
Besides Armitage, the ISI chief met Secretary of State Colin Powell and Vice-President Dick Cheney, the paper said. Gen Huq is also scheduled to meet US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and homeland security chief Tom Ridge.

Bureau Report