WASHINGTON, (DNA) – Prime Minister Imran Khan – on his maiden visit to the United States – will hold his first one-on-one meeting with President Donald Trump in the White House today.

A host of issues are expected to be discussed by the two leaders as efforts will be made to improve bilateral relations which nose-dived following Trump’s infamous Jan 1 tweet.

The US leader is also expected to accompany the premier on a tour of the White House, said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. He added that it will give more time to “mingle and chat”.

The visit will expand bilateral cooperation on trade and investment as well as work toward peace in South Asia at large and Afghanistan in particular.

The trip was originally planned in June but was postponed because of the PM’s prior domestic engagements, including the federal budget.

Pakistani officials, however, feel that direct interaction between PM Imran and Trump can help address some of the misgivings.

President Trump will welcome the Pakistani leader at the Oval Office for talks which will then extend to a working luncheon to be attended by Cabinet members and senior Pentagon leaders.

PM Imran will also interact with top American lawmakers and Pakistan Caucus on Capitol Hill.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Advisor to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razzaq Dawood, Special Assistant on Overseas Zulfikar Bukhari and Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, are accompanying the Prime Minister.

“The purpose of the visit is to press for concrete cooperation from Pakistan to advance the Afghanistan peace process and to encourage Pakistan to deepen and sustain its recent effort to crackdown on militants and terrorists within its territory,” a senior US administration official told Reuters.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the United States wants to make clear to Pakistan that it is open to repairing relations if Pakistan changes how it handles “terrorists and militants.”

In Afghanistan, the official said, the peace process is at a critical point and Washington wants Pakistan “to pressure the Taliban into a permanent ceasefire and participation in inter-Afghan negotiations that would include the Afghan government.”

Trump wants to end US military involvement in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s cooperation will be essential to any deal to end the war and ensure the country does not become a base for militant groups like Islamic State.

Meanwhile, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor has said Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa will be part of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s delegation during a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House.

In a tweet, he said Gen Bajwa will also visit Pentagon to interact with Acting Secretary Defense Richard Spencer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff  General Joseph Dunford and Chief of Staff of US Army Gen Mark A Milley.