Pakistan on Thursday said its relations with the US, marked by “many ups and downs” this year, had reached a point where it had become necessary to “rewrite” the bilateral terms of engagement in order to bring ties on an even keel.
Referring to incidents like the gunning down of two Pakistani men by CIA contractor Raymo-nd Davis in Lahore in January and Novem-ber’s Nato airstrike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit said a reappraisal of bilateral ties would help the two sides focus on realistic objectives.
“Pakistan-US relations have witnessed many ups and downs. From the Raymond Davis case to the November 26 US-Nato attacks on the two Pakistani posts at Salala, things have come to a point where it is necessary to rewrite our bilateral terms of engagement,” Mr Basit said.
“This will be good for both our countries as policies based on realistic and shared objectives would be far more tenable than a relationship facing frequent strains because of opaqueness and unilateral actions,” he added.
Islamabad has struggled throughout the year to bring its relations with Washington back on an even keel.
— PTI