US official Kapur concludes Pakistan visit after talks

ISLAMABAD: US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs S Paul Kapur concluded a visit to Pakistan, during which he held talks with senior officials on a range of bilateral issues, attended a cultural artefact repatriation event and visited the Margalla Hills, the US embassy said on Sunday.

“That’s a wrap! During a productive visit to Pakistan, Kapur met with high-level leaders on the full spectrum of bilateral issues, participated in a landmark cultural artefact repatriation event, and still found time to enjoy a hike in the beautiful Margalla Hills with some of our US Marines,” the embassy said in a post on X.

Earlier on Friday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Kapur, alongside US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and the federal interior secretary.

The two sides reviewed bilateral relations and exchanged views on the latest situation in the Middle East, according to an official statement.

Naqvi said Pakistan was keen to see the early launch of direct flights between Pakistan and the US.

His remarks followed the resumption earlier this year of Pakistan International Airlines’ direct services to London after a six-year suspension.

The national carrier said on March 29 that its inaugural flight had departed from Islamabad, and later announced plans to launch direct flights from Lahore to London.

Naqvi said relations between Pakistan and the US had strengthened during President Donald Trump’s tenure, describing ties between the two countries as being based on mutual trust and bilateral cooperation.

He also said Pakistan had ensured “foolproof security” for American companies involved in the Reko Diq mining project in the south-western province of Balochistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026