Photo: Pakistan Foreign Ministry
After weeks of recriminations, the United States and Pakistan are expressing mutual desire to build trust, with both countries climbing down from rhetorical statements.
The relationship between the two countries – already facing a standstill – nosedived after President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of being “deceitful and lying” in the relationship despite getting billions of dollars in U.S. assistance.
Since then, Washington has suspended security aid for Pakistan and demanded that Islamabad move strongly against the Afghan Haqqani network, which, the U.S. says is behind insurgency in Afghanistan.
But in Islamabad on Tuesday, a senior American diplomat Alice Wells, who is South and Central Asian Affairs Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, said Washington wants a “new relationship with Pakistan based on our mutual interest.”
“Ambassador Wells underlined that the United States seeks to move toward a new relationship with Pakistan, based on our mutual interest in realizing a stable and prosperous region,” a U.S. embassy statement said.
In NATO headquarters, Brussels, the top American military officer Marine General Joseph Dunford expressed his commitment an effective US-Pakistan relationship.
“Do we agree on everything right now? No we don´t. But are we committed to a more effective relationship with Pakistan? We are. And I´m not giving up on that,” Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the media, according to news reports.
The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018
Wells, who visited Islamabad January 15-16, met with Pakistani officials including Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua, also reiterated the U.S. call for Pakistan to act against the Haqqani network militants, who, Washington says, use the Pakistani soil for their militant activities in Afghanistan.
“Acknowledging Pakistan’s considerable sacrifices fighting terrorism, Ambassador Wells emphasized that the U.S. South Asia strategy represents an opportunity to work together for the establishment of a stable, peaceful Afghanistan, the defeat of ISIS in South Asia, and the elimination of terrorist groups that threaten both Pakistan and the United States. Ambassador Wells urged the government of Pakistan to address the continuing presence of the Haqqani network and other terrorist groups within its territory,” the U.S. embassy statement said.
Pakistan underscored during Wells’ visit that the relationship with the United States needed to move forward under an environment of mutual trust and respect.
Senior officials from US National Security Council and Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale were part of the meetings in Islamabad.
During the meeting with Ambassador Wells, thee Pakistani foreign secretary Janjua expressed Islamabad’s “concerns on the continued use of Afghan soil by elements hostile to Pakistan’s stability.”
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Ambassador Alice Wells visits Pakistan: Read the full press release here: https://t.co/HtsLDNpwcS … pic.twitter.com/Nh7IYmeEfi
— US Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) January 16, 2018
According to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, Janjua added that strengthening border management mechanisms between Pakistan and Afghanistan was vital to addressing concerns relating to cross border movements. Early repatriation of Afghan refugees was also important for improving relations with Afghanistan, she emphasized. The Foreign Secretary reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to continue its efforts for promoting peace and stability in the region, she added.
The Foreign Secretary Janjua also drew the attention of the US delegation to the recent irresponsible statement by the Indian Army Chief and the pattern of escalation by India on the LoC and the working boundary and condemned Indian mortar attacks on Pakistani posts resulting in the martyrdom of Pakistani soldiers last night. She asked the US side to advise restraint to India and stop its escalation tactics.
The Pakistani statement said Ambassador Wells acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts in eradicating terrorism and conveyed the US desire to work with Pakistan in furthering the shared objectives of stabilizing Afghanistan.
She argued that as an immediate neighbor and important country of the region, Pakistan’s support was critical to the success of the US strategy for Afghanistan. To this end, Ambassador Wells underlined the need for strengthening intelligence cooperation between the two sides to improve coordination in counter-terrorism efforts, the foreign ministry statement said.
Importantly, according to thee statement, the two sides agreed that all initiatives owned and led by the Afghans for seeking a peaceful solution should be supported by the regional countries.
