U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman met Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and discussed Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to recover from the devastating floods.
Pakistan witnessed unprecedented monsoon rains over the summer that put a third of the country under water, damaged two million homes and killed more than 1,700 people.
“Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman met Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and they discussed Pakistan’s continuing efforts to recover from the devastating floods,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on December 20.
They also discussed the upcoming International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan to be held in Geneva on January 9, 2023, Mr. Price said.
During the meeting, Ms. Sherman also expressed condolences for Pakistani lives lost in recent terrorist attacks, even as they committed to strengthen counterterrorism cooperation between the two nations.
“They also spoke about economic, energy, and environmental cooperation,” Mr. Price said. Ms. Sherman and Ms. Zardari also discussed the Taliban’s deplorable decision to further restrict women’s and girls’ access to education, Mr. Price added.
The Taliban rulers on Tuesday banned university education for women nationwide, as they took decisive steps to crush their right to education and freedom. It was a far cry from their promise of a softer rule when they seized power last year, with the Taliban regime strongly implementing their strict interpretation of the Islamic law, or Sharia.
