Amid signs that Islamabad and Washington are nearing a deal on resumption of NATO supplies through Pakistani land routes, the State Department on Monday said the US continues to work with Pakistan on the issue.
State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland confirmed that Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides held talks with Pakistani officials in Islamabad on various issues including reopening of routes for Afghanistan-bound supplies and was heading home. The spokesperson, however, had nothing in particular to announce on the issue.
She said the two countries have been talking on wide-ranging issues including working on supply lines.
“That work continues. We don’t have anything in particular to announce today,” she said. The spokesperson was responding to questions in the context of Pakistani and international media reports that the two sides were close to resolving differences and striking an agreement on revival of key Pakistani routes. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Sherry Rehman is on her way to Islamabad, where top defense and political leaders will meet on Tuesday to discuss a decision on the issue. American media reports last week said the Pentagon has requested moving $ 2.1 billion dollars from other heads to cover high costs of transporting supplies into Afghanistan via the northern routes and by air. Earlier reports said the closure of Pakistani routes was costing washington $ 100 million in extra expenditures every month.
US officials in Washington have not publicly spokes on prospects of an imminent agreement on the issue but lately there has been a marked tone down in American officials’ statements on Pakistan Last week, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said the two sides are working in “good faith” to make progress on the issue. His remarks were conspicuous as they contrasted with his earlier expression of frustrations with Pakistan’s perceived inaction against Haqqani militant group, which allegedly uses Pakistani tribal areas to target American interests in Afghanistan.
The Pakistani supply routes – which offer the least expensive and much shorter avenues than the northern roads snaking through Russia and Central Asia – were blocked by Islamabad about seven months ago in the aftermath of November 26, 2011 air strikes on Salala border posts, resulting in deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers. Pakistan has demanded an apology over Salala reports to pave the way for resuming counterterrorism cooperation. According to reports, the issue is likely to be resolved to the satisfaction of both sides.
At the State Department briefing, the spokesperson recalled the Pakistani and American technical teams had covered a lot of dimensions towards restoration of the land routes. The spokesperson also told journalists that the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a telephonic call to new Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf “ to wish him well in his new post.” In her call to the prime minister, Secretary Clinton also “noted that we want to continue our engagement and work through the issues “ the two countries still have, the spokesperson said.
