Maleeha briefs Centcom chief on Kashmir, Afghanistan

..........WASHINGTON (August 23) : Pakistan's Ambassador to the US, Dr Maleeha Lodhi called on the new commander of the US Central Command (Centcom), Gen. Tommy R. Franks and briefed him the regional situation around Pakistan with particular reference to Kashmir and Afghanistan.
..........While tracing the history of the Kashmir dispute, she provided the new Centcom chief with an assessment of the present situation, emphasising the need for a peaceful Kashmir settlement involving all three parties: the people of Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan and India.
..........On Afghanistan, the ambassador called for the adoption of an open-minded approach to bring an end to the vast humanitarian tragedy that had engulfed the country. She said the Afghanistan situation could not be dealt with through sanctions and economic restrictions but by rebuilding the country economically.
..........The ambassador had flown to Florida for the meeting where she later addressed a large gathering of Pakistani-Americans.
..........Present during the ambassador's meeting with Gen. Franks was Ambassador Martin L Cheshes, political adviser to the Centcom chief.-APP