Pakistani federal interior minister meets US Ambassador to Pakistan

Rehman Malik, the federal interior minister, held a meeting on Tuesday with US Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson. During the meeting, matters relating to US-Pakistan relations were discussed. For his part, Olson said that the United States accord great importance to its relations with Pakistan. Malik reiterated that international community should support Islamabad in its fight against the terrorism as the nation has given tremendous sacrifices in the ongoing battle. In a voice vote, the US Senate confirmed Richard Olson as the new ambassador to Pakistan. The appointment of Olson, a 30-year veteran of the State Department who was envoy to the United Arab Emirates between 2008 and 2011, meanwhile will aim to turn a page in diplomatic relations with Islamabad. Until June, Olson served in the US embassy in Kabul as the coordinator for development and economic affairs, a key priority for Washington as the United States prepares to withdraw its forces. The outgoing American ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter, resigned in May after a turbulent tenure in which a covert US forces raid killed Osama bin Laden near a major military academy, humiliating the country s powerful army.