The Pakistani Government should “bite the bullet” and re-open
supply routes
to NATO
forces in
Afghanistan
in order
to ease
tensions
with the
United States
(US), a
senior US
Government
official
said on
June 12,
reports
Daily
Times.
The US had
said on
June 11,
2012 that
it was withdrawing
its team
of negotiators
from Pakistan
without
securing
a long-sought
deal on
supply routes
for the
war in neighbouring
Afghanistan,
publicly
exposing
a diplomatic
stalemate
and deeply
strained
relations
that appear
at risk
of deteriorating
further.
“If the
civilian
government
in Islamabad
would bite
the bullet
and make
the political
decision
to open
the ground
lines of
communication,
that would
deflect
some of
the negativity
right now,”
the official
said. “It
wouldn’t
automatically
turn things
around,
but that
would be
an important
step.”
Separately, sources in the Foreign Affairs Ministry said that
since negotiating
teams of
the US and
Pakistan
have finished
their work
and the
decision
now lies
with the
political
leaderships
of the two
countries.
“They have
provided
input and
now the
leadership
would consider
over the
inputs,”
they added.
The US negotiating
team who
left Pakistan
on June
11 would
return when
Pakistan
would be
ready to
complete
the dialogue
over NATO
supplies,
the US Embassy
said.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar urged a US Congressional
delegation
led by Representative
Todd Platts
that the
relationship
between
Pakistan
and the
US is important
and both
sides simply
cannot afford
to ignore
this fact,
reports
The Express
Tribune.
“Both sides
have shared
goals of
peace and
prosperity
in the region,
the Foreign
Minister
said and
called for
working
together
to strengthen
the relationship
based on
mutual trust
and mutual
respect.”
The US Congressional delegation was briefed on the current
status and
challenges
of Pakistan-US
relationship.
Foreign
Minister
Khar also
informed
the US Congressmen
about the
regional
situation.
The Congressional
delegation
agreed on
the need
to overcome
the current
stress and
work for
building
a holistic
relationship
taking into
account
shared interests. | 
