PM Khan will meet President Trump on July 22: Foreign Office

The visit — Khan’s first to the US since coming to power last year — came at Trump’s invitation. (File/AFP)

• This will be Khan’s first visit to the US since coming to power in July 2018
• The focus will be to "refresh the bilateral relationship", foreign office says

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan will meet United States President Donald Trump in Washington DC on July 22, the Foreign Office said on Thursday, putting to rest months of speculation about a possible meeting between the two leaders.
“The agenda of the meeting is being developed through diplomatic channels and a detailed curtain raiser will be issued before the visit,” Foreign Office spokesperson Dr. Muhammad Faisal told journalists at a weekly press briefing.
Last year, Trump accused Pakistan of not doing a “damn thing” for the United States despite billions of dollars in US aid. The remarks threatened to further worsen already fragile relations between Islamabad and Washington, on-off allies who have repeatedly clashed about the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s alleged support for Islamist militants, which Islamabad denies. 
In February, Trump said the United States had developed a “much better” relationship and may set up some meetings with Pakistan.
This will be Khan’s first visit to the US since coming to power in a July 2018 general election. He accepted the invitation to visit Washington, the foreign office said in a statement, adding that “the focus will be to refresh the bilateral relationship.”
“I think Imran Khan will present Pakistan’s narrative, describing the challenges of his country and the gravity of the situation in the region, stressing on good relations that Pakistan and the United States have enjoyed in the past,” defense analyst Asad Mehmood said. “Both sides will attempt to narrow the trust deficit”.
Mehmood said that the $60 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor would likely come under discussion, especially since the US and China were currently engaged in a trade war.
International relations expert Qamar Cheema said Islamabad needed to revisit its bilateral relationship with Washington DC and try to turn into from a “transactional” one into a “strategic and economic partnership.”