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           Pakistani Officials Cautiously Optimistic on PM's US Talks

   by Ayaz Gul

   Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s meeting with
   U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House this week came at a time
   when the two countries have been trying to repair relations, damaged by
   U.S. drone strikes against militants in Pakistan. Pakistani officials
   and commentators believe the talks have set the stage for rebuilding
   "an honorable
   relationship."<br />
    <br /> Foreign Ministry
   spokesman Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said the talks have established a
   framework that would help the two countries enhance counterterrorism
   efforts and pave the way for Pakistan to seek more U.S. cooperation in
   areas such as the economy.<br />
    <br /> “I
   think they have provided a very solid guidance for rebuilding this
   relationship, taking it out of the depth that it had seen in the last
   two years to hopefully new heights,” said
   Chaudhry.<br />  <br
   /> The tensions in bilateral relations plunged to historic
   lows in 2011 and 2012 after an American military raid deep inside
   Pakistan killed Osama bin Laden and a cross-border NATO airstrike
   killed some two dozen Pakistani soldiers.<br />
    <br /> But critics, like
   opposition lawmaker Shireen Mazari, are unhappy with the way Sharif
   presented Pakistan’s case in the meeting with
   President Obama.<br />
    <br /> "The
   American president seem to have overpowered the Pakistani prime
   minister who had the backing of all the political parties, the
   Pakistani nation, to make an issue and demand, not request, demand that
   America stop its drone attacks or else," said Mazari.
   "But he never did that. Then he was going to request
   market access for Pakistan’s trade, he never got
   that. So, at the end of the day, what did he get? A scolding from
   [President] Obama because afterwards he said we must put our own house
   in order.”<br />
    <br /> Still, opposition
   Senator Mushahid Hussain, who chairs the foreign affairs committee of
   the upper house of parliament, said the meeting has generated hopes the
   two countries will be able to resolve long-standing acrimonious
   issues.<br />  <br
   /> “I would say that as compared to what
   the situation was in 2011, we are in a much better shape and there is a
   change in the U.S. attitude. I think there is a mutual desire to take
   the relationship forward. So, I am hopeful that some of the problems
   that we had in the past are now behind us,” said
   Hussain.<br />  <br
   /> Hussain admitted there are weaknesses in
   Pakistan’s counterterrorism
   campaign.   <br
   />  <br />
   “Ultimately, at the end of the day there are serious
   internal situations, particularly the need for a national security
   strategy and a counterterror strategy, which Pakistan and its political
   leadership along with support of the armed forces has to fashion on its
   own. So, the problems, the mess that we have, nobody else will clean it
   up for us. We have to do it ourselves,” said
   Hussain.<br />  <br
   /> Pakistani officials say the issue of U.S. forces in
   Afghanistan also was raised in the meeting with Obama. Most of the
   American-led foreign forces will leave Afghanistan by end of next year
   and they are heavily relying on Pakistani land routes for their exit.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/pakistan-officials-cautiously-optimistic-on-pm-talks-with-us/1777305.html