Agence France Presse

Islamabad, March 5:

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is due to visit Pakistan in mid-March, an official said today. Rice is expected in Islamabad on March 17, a senior official of Pakistan’s foreign ministry said, but declined to comment further on her engagements. The US Senate last year approved a $388-million budget which includes military aid to Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is designed to bolster Pakistan in hunting down Al Qaeda men.