US Defence Secretary James Mattis to visit Pakistan today

US Defence Secretary James Mattis will arrive in Pakistan on Monday to hold talks with the civilian and military leadership on bilateral and regional issues. 

Mattis is likely to ask Pakistan to eliminate the Haqqani Network which still has hideouts in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and uses them for launching attacks in Afghanistan. 

Mattis, ahead of his first visit to Pakistan as America's Defence Secretary,



said that the US wants Pakistan to act in its best interest and take action against terror safe havens.

Mattis is on a four-nation tour from Friday which include Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan and Kuwait. 

Relations between the US and Pakistan plummeted after President Donald Trump announced his new south Asia policy in August and directly blamed Islamabad for supporting the Taliban in war-torn Afghanistan.