Updated on
Summary The new US special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Marc Grossman on Monday met President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir in Islamabad and discussed the issue of Raymond Davis with them.
It was the first visit of Grossman to the region since taking the office held by late Richard Holbrooke. US envoy raised the issue of diplomatic immunity for Davis, a US citizen, who killed Pakistanis in Lahore. Grossman insisted that Davis had diplomatic immunity and acted in ‘self-defence’.Discussing Pak-US relations, President Zardari said that weakening of the relations was not an option for the two countries. Stressing the need for pursuing a multifaceted and durable strategic relationship for realisation of shared objectives, the president said that the nation had paid a heavy price in the US war on terror and lost thousands of lives and suffered colossal loss in economic term.US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron P Munter, Admiral Philip Davidson, Vali Nasr, Nigehuaun Zhu, Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Hina Rabbani Khar and Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir attended the meeting.
