This is with reference to the recently held talks between Gen John Allen of the United States and Gen Ashfaq Kayani of Pakistan aimed at improving border coordination. As a back reference, it is to mention that these talks came almost six months after the US air strikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers along the frontier border and resultantly Islamabad closed its border crossings to supplies meant for NATO troops in Afghanistan.
The meeting, however, is a welcoming step because divorce is not an option in Pak-US relations and therefore such meetings are important to achieve continued progress toward restoration of peace and stability in the region. In the back drop of existing realties, it would be wrong to cast an eye on each and every step government or army takes to break the impasse in relations between Pakistan and the US. There is no denying the fact that US keeps on brewing conspiracy theories against Pakistan yet her coming back to Islamabad again and again on one pretext or other is a clear message that Pakistan is indispensable for the US to achieve its goal in this region. On the other hand, we must adhere to the fact that for some reasons Pakistan too needs Washington. So, whatever the circumstances are it needs to be understood that ties between Islamabad and Washington are not based on common bonds or friendship but common interests. And where both these states’ interests converge, they must repair their relationship so that they will both be able to at least work together.
AAYAN HUSSAIN
Rawalpindi
