The serious nature of differences that erupted in Pakistan-US ties in the aftermath of the NATO attack in Mohmand Agency, in particular Islamabad’s decision to boycott the Bonn Conference, forced President Barack Obama to make a phone call to his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari and explain that the “regrettable” incident was not a “deliberate attack”. The phone call from President Obama that lasted for around 30 minutes led to consultations between President Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on the phone and both also spoke separately to Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on the phone later. “The conversation between the Pakistani leadership was meant to discuss the two presidents’ telephonic talk and also to once again deliberate upon the vital issue of going or not going to the Bonn Conference now that even the US president has made the request in this regard,” said a senior Pakistani official privy to the late night developments. He said as the consultations were still underway, he could not say with authority what would be the decision but as it was the top most request by US, it had been taken very seriously here. If it was decided to send the country’s ambassador in Germany to the conference to represent Pakistan, that would not be something surprising, he added. Meanwhile, a White House statement said President Obama telephoned President Zardari on Sunday to express his condolences. “Earlier today the President phoned President Zardari to personally express his condolences on the tragic loss of 24 Pakistani soldiers,” the statement said. “The President made clear that this regrettable incident was not a deliberate attack on Pakistan and reiterated the United States’ strong commitment to a full investigation,” it added. It said that during the roughly 30-minute call, the two presidents reaffirmed their commitment to the US-Pakistan bilateral relationship.
