Pakistan president to meet Bush

Pakistan’s president plans to stop in Washington next week on his way home from Latin America to congratulate President George Bush on his re-election.

President Gen Pervez Musharraf, who has made the Islamic nation a key ally of the United States in its war on terror, will begin a trip to Brazil, Argentina and Mexico on Saturday.

He will also travel to France and Britain.

Musharraf will make a stopover in Washington late on December 3 to refuel his aircraft and will call on Bush on December 4.

“It will be a personal meeting,” an official said. “Musharraf wants to congratulate President Bush on his re-election in the recent presidential elections.”

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Khan confirmed Musharraf’s trip to the five nations, but refused to comment on his reputed meeting with Bush.

Reports about the meeting came days after officials in Islamabad and Washington said the United States hoped to sell weapons to Pakistan.

The US Defence Security Co-operation Agency this week said it had notified the US Congress of the possible sale of eight P3C surveillance planes, 2,000 TOW anti-tank missiles, and six Phalanx gun systems, which are mounted on ships to shoot down incoming anti-ship missiles.

However, it said no sales had been concluded.