The United States will soon lift sanctions imposed on India and Pakistan for their 1998 nuclear tests and will reschedule $600 million in bilateral debt with Islamabad next week, a senior Western diplomat said today.
"You will see discernible progress soon," the diplomat said when asked if the sanctions would be lifted as Washington builds support for its "anti-terrorist" campaign.
The diplomat, who asked not to be identified, said the work was continuing. It would allow a resumption of various kinds of US help to Pakistan.
Efforts under the Paris Club to reschedule Pakistan's bilateral debt, under way most of this year, have been accelerated because of the crisis following the attacks on the United States.
The Paris Club is an informal group of official creditors whose role is to find solutions to the payment difficulties experienced by debtor nations.
The United States will sign an agreement on rescheduling $600 million of Pakistan's bilateral debt, part of $1.6 billion of Pakistan's debts being rescheduled under the Paris Club.