ISLAMABAD, 12 December 2021, (TON): A delegation of US senators separately met Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, asserting America's commitment to maintaining "stable and broad-based" ties and strengthening diplomatic cooperation with Pakistan.

The four-member delegation was headed by Senator Angus King and comprised Senator Richard Burr, Senator John Cornyn and Senator Ben Sasse.

All these senators are members of the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, while Senator King is also a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the premier underlined in the meeting that Pakistan valued its long-standing relationship with the US and was committed to expanding it in all spheres, particularly in the economic dimension.

The PMO said in a statement “the prime minister expressed the hope that visits by delegations from the US Congress to Pakistan would help strengthen mutual understanding between the two countries and forge closer people-to-people contacts.”

"The PM (prime minister) reiterated that a deeper and stronger partnership between the two countries was mutually beneficial and critical for the region’s peace, security and prosperity."

The US senators, along with the US Charged’ Affaires to Pakistan, also met COAS General Bajwa, according to a statement issued by the military's media affairs wing.

The statement by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that matters of mutual interest, the security situation in Afghanistan and bilateral cooperation in various fields were discussed during the meeting.