Kayani leaves for US to take part in next week's strategic dialogue

Islamabad, Mar.20 (ANI): Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has left for the United States to take part in the upcoming strategic dialogue between the two countries on March 24.

During his 'official' visit, Kayani is also likely to meet top US military and government officials in Tampa and Washington, The Dawn reports.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi would head the Pakistani delegation while the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would represent Washington during the next week's talks.

In recent months, senior Obama Administration officials have been hailing the close ties with Pakistan, which has acted tough on extremist leaders hiding inside its boundary.

Next week's strategic dialogue, the first at the ministerial level, takes place in the backdrop of Pakistan's consistent demands from the US to help it 'more' in order to enable it to take on the extremists more effectively in the 'war on terror'. (ANI)