US Congresswoman Ilhan Abdullah Omar has arrived in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, for a four-day visit which began yesterday. It is her first official trip to the Mulsim-majority South Asian country.
The 37-year-old Democrat was welcomed at the airport by Foreign Office DG Americas Muhammad Mudassir Tipu early Wednesday morning.
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar later visited the recently ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan at his home in Bani Gala, a suburb in the country’s capital, where the two reportedly discussed Islamophobia-related issues.
Pakistani media say that it is the first time Imran Khan met with US officials – who he has publicly accused of conspiring against him – before being removed from office by shocking no confidence on April 10.
Pakistan’s parliament elected a new coalition government led by pro-western Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of three-time former premier Nawaz Sharif.
Washington has however denied the allegations.
Ilhan Omar also met National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf at the Parliament House and Pakistan’s President Dr. Arif Alvi at the Aiwan-e-Sadr or Presidential Palace.
Pakistani officials said the visit of a US Congress delegation would pave the way for strengthening ties between both countries.
Reports say that Ilhan Omar is expected to make stops in Pakistan-controlled Azad Kashmir, where she will meet the region’s president, Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry, before travelling to Lahore.
