October 19, 2009 General Petraeus and Senator Kerry meet with Pakistan PM Play video

(NECN/APTV) - US General David Petraeus met Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in Islamabad on Monday, as Pakistan's offensive against entrenched Taliban fighters in South Waziristan continued into its third day.

Petraeus, the US Central Command Chief overseeing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, was scheduled to have meetings with a range of senior Pakistani officials during his visit, according to the US Embassy in Islamabad.

US Senator John Kerry also met Gilani on Monday, and was scheduled to take part in the talks, where the offensive in South Waziristan was expected to be a key topic of discussion.

Kerry is expected to try to ease tensions in a rift between the US government and the army over a 7.5 (b) billion US dollars US aid package intended to symbolize US support for the country's democratic transition after years of military rule, as well as its fight against terror.