US President George W. Bush will pay an official visit to Pakistan and three other countries in South Asia in the first quarter of the next year, according to a story in The News website to be published Monday.

The invitation has been extended to Bush by President Pervez Musharraf in New York early last week on the sidelines of the UN summit. Similar invitation was extended by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who also met Bush in New York.

Bush has accepted both invitations and agreed to undertake the visit on mutually agreed dates soon.

Highly placed diplomatic sources confirmed to the English- language paper that Washington is getting engaged with the capitals of the region to work out the dates for Bush's maiden visit to the South Asian countries.

Pakistani ambassador to the United States Jehangir Karamat has also confirmed the visit and said the schedule was yet to be discussed.

The trip would take the US president to Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

The sources hinted that Bush would undertake the visit before March next which would start from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Diplomatic observers here are of the view that Islamabad and New Delhi would certainly make some headway in the peace process on the most contentious dispute of Kashmir during the months ahead.

Source: Xinhua