As Pakistan’s Parliament started debating recommendations on how to proceed on ties with the United States, President Barack Obama said he hoped the parliamentary review would be balanced and respect America’s security needs.
After Monday’s informal chat, President Obama and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani met formally on Tuesday on the sidelines of the nuclear security summit in the South Korean capital.
It was the highest-level contact between the two uneasy allies since US special forces killed al Qaeda kingpin Osama bin Laden in a clandestine raid in Abbottabad last May.
More recently, the killing of two dozen Pakistani troops in a cross-border US air raid had almost ruptured relations following over 10 months of mistrust and recriminations, and prompted Islamabad reconfigure its ties with Washington.
President Obama conceded relations had been strained in recent months. “There have been times – I think we should be candid – over the last several months where those relations have had periods of strains,” Obama told reporters as the meeting opened.
“But I welcome the fact that the Parliament of Pakistan is reviewing, after some extensive study, the nature of this relationship. I think it’s important to get it right. I think it’s important for us to have candid dialogue, to work through these issues.”
Pakistan’s cooperation is considered critical to US efforts to stabilise Afghanistan before most foreign combat troops leave at the end of 2014.
The Obama-Gilani meeting coincided with the opening of a parliamentary debate on a 40-point proposal drafted by a multi-party, bicameral parliamentary panel on the future of Islamabad’s relations with Washington.
Obama said he hoped the parliamentary review would take a “balanced approach that respects Pakistan’s sovereignty, but also respects our concerns with respect to our national security and our needs to battle terrorists who have targeted us in the past”.
Prime Minister Gilani said he was pleased to hear Obama talk about sovereignty. Pakistan says that American CIA’s drone campaign against al Qaeda and its Taliban cohorts in its tribal regions infringes on its sovereignty. Under fresh terms of engagement, Pakistan may also ask the US to call off drone strikes.
It wasn’t clear whether the issue was discussed in Tuesday’s meeting.
Top Obama aide Ben Rhodes parried the question and only said that, on counter-terrorism, the two leaders reviewed how to ensure an ongoing dialogue to improve cooperation. He refused to go into details.
Rhodes, deputy national security adviser, gave an upbeat assessment of the interaction. “This was a meeting that made important progress, with both sides being able to hear directly from one another about what their views are of the various interests on which we have cooperated,” he told journalists after the meeting.
“We are both interested in a stable and secure Afghanistan and a stable and secure region,” Obama said.
Gilani said: “We are committed to fighting against extremism. We want stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan… We want to work together with you,” he told Obama.
There was also no indication whether Obama and Gilani discussed Bin Laden’s killing – an incident seen as a humiliation for Pakistan’s government and armed forces.
The US wants Pakistan to unplug the Nato supply routes it had blocked since the November 2011 Nato raid. However, Pakistan’s Parliament is unlikely to give the go-ahead for the move anytime soon because of differences among the government and opposition.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2012.
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The truth is that that the terrorists are not waiting for us to realize that they view us as a common threat preventing them from achieving their evil mission. They would like us to remain tangled in our disagreements, and keep the focus off their terrorist activities. It is evident by the threats made by the TTP against the Pakistani lawmakers in regards to re-opening Nato supply routes to Afghanistan. They clearly do not wish to see us working together. We must realize that this war is with you, the U.S, or anyone that dares takes a stand against their evil beliefs. We have already lost thousands of brave soldiers in fighting these terrorists, and shifting the blame in each other’s direction only provides these terrorists with the leeway to commit more atrocities. The need of the hour is not to indulge in the blame game, but to create a better working relationship that will enhance our ability to defeat these terrorists, and bring peace and stability to the region.
@Cautious: Good point. Also it looks like the army has overplayed its hand. In order to get better terms in the negotiation, it encouraged the DPC gang to create a lot ot street agiatations about the pipeline. It then wanted to hide behind the parliament to get approval to lift sanctions. Well guess what the street agitations and the general resistance to repoening the routes by ordinary Pakistanis is making the opposition leaders in Pakistan back out of providing rubber stamp approval to a politically highly unpopular move. The army wants the routes to be opene dbut is now trapped in a web of their own lies and deceit.
At the end of the day all that chest thumping isn't going to get Pakistan squat - lots of bargaining with yourselves - now you have to sit down at the table and negotiate with someone who's willing to call your bluff.
He looks mummy daddy with Obama.
He looks mummy daddy infront of Obama.
Look at Gilani's eyes. Poor guy is too excited to meet Obama. Hope he didn't ask for an autograph. I think if the American commission found it was solely pakistan's mistake (in which our border troops were killed), then it must be. We must just lay down on the ground and let them roll their trucks over us. Pathetic!
I have seen clip of this meeting in the news yesterday- Yousuf Raza Gilani was speaking as he has memorized that paragraph and he said "peaceful afghanistan will make pakistan peaceful".... means he justified war on terror by USA, as our war. Sad to see such an ill-confident man as our PM. We could have better one.
Obama looks alright but Gilani has something in his back all the way to his head.
Pakistan and U.S relations is going through a very critical phase of its history.Considering Afhan problem Pakistan co-operation is the most required one than any other country in the region.Pakistan can extend strategic help and through its 'soft power' it can bring Afghan extemist around.Ameica need a strategy which involves confidance and cooperation of Pakistan.Mishappening and misundrstanding happens but it should not be extended to extrems.
look on gillani's face is amusing
This was a look me down meeting, with US looking down at Pakistan. Obama spoke (warnings) and Gilani listened. That's it. End of meeting. US Spokesman used a lot of words that meant nothing.