Ties with the US: Islamabad unlikely to rock the boat

Officials say PM has rejected proposals for drastic steps to review US ties .

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has rejected suggestions by some of his cabinet members to take a tough position against the United States for its ‘deliberate attempts’ to undermine Pakistan’s efforts to hold peace talks with the Taliban, The Express Tribune has learnt.

According to one official privy to developments, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was insisting on reviewing cooperation with the US in the aftermath of the drone strike which killed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Hakimullah Mehsud.

At his news conference immediately after Mehsud’s killing, Nisar termed the move an ‘attack on peace’ and indicated that the country’s top civil and military leadership would meet soon to respond to the situation.

However, a meeting of the Cabinet Committee of the National Security Council was not convened as the prime minister adopted a more ‘pragmatic approach’ in view of the evolving situation, the official told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

He said Premier Nawaz made it clear during the emergency cabinet meeting last week that while his government has taken a principled stance against the CIA-piloted drone campaign, this did not mean that Pakistan’s ‘entire relationship with the US should be held hostage by one incident’.



“That is why he (the prime minister) is careful in making any public statement on the issue,” the official added.

Premier Nawaz made his only noticeable statement on the issue during military exercises in Bahawalpur last week, cautioning the US that the ‘senseless use of force’ would not bring peace. Unlike the interior minister, however, he did not indicate whether his government was considering any drastic steps to review ties with the US.

A senior foreign ministry official endorsed the premier’s view saying it would be unwise if Pakistan sought to redefine cooperation with the US at this stage.

Opposition parties, particularly the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, have been pushing for radical measures, including blocking vital supply lines for US-led Nato forces in Afghanistan.

The government has no intention of accepting such demands, said the official.



The government’s cautious approach is attributed to the importance it attaches to its ties with the US.

One of Prime Minister Nawaz’s close aides said the government had invested heavily in its relationship with Washington and hence, did not believe in ‘rocking the boat.’

“We will continue to raise our concerns with the US over certain issues, including drones, but at the same time both sides will continue to cooperate in areas where there is convergence [between the two],” said the official requesting not to be identified.

Ties between Pakistan and the US have witnessed trouble since 2011 due to a variety of incidents, including secret raid on Osama Bin Laden’s hideout in Abbottabad and the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers in US airstrike at the Afghan border.

However, relations have shown improvement following the Premier Nawaz’s visit to Washington last month.

Under the revised strategic dialogue which will kick off in Washington this week, the two countries will hold crucial talks on energy cooperation.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th,2013.