Pakistan expects Obama’s visit in 2011: Envoy

WASHINGTON - Pakistan looks forward to US President Barack Obama’s visit in 2011, said Pakistani ambassador Hussain Haqqani, hoping that Obama’s India trip “will create an opportunity for lasting peace in the region”.

In a message on his Twitter account, Haqqani said Sunday: “Pakistan looks forward to Pres Obama’s visit in 2011 & hopes that his trip to India will create opportunity for lasting peace in the region.”

The envoy posted his comments on Obama’s four-day trip to India that ends Tuesday. The US president and his wife Michelle reached New Delhi Sunday.

“Pakistan Hopes Obama India Trip Helps Region,” he said in another tweet.

On reports that the US administration had spent $200 million on Obama’s Asia tour which also includes Indonesia, South Korea and Japan, the Pakistani diplomat said it was a “myth like many myths of expensive trips of Pakistan leaders”.

“Myth of Obama’s $200 million Asia trip is like many myths of expensive trips of Pakistan leaders & latest myth of $20 m spent on Aafia case,” he tweeted referring to the report that Pakistani embassy spent $20 million to provide legal assistance to Aafia Sidiqqi, a Pakistani-origin neuroscientist jailed in the US on terrorism charges.

The diplomat also said the defeat of Democratic party in the mid-term Congressional election may put pressure on the president to change his July 2011 deadline for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.