Mending Pak-US ties

ISI chief Lieutenant-General Shuja Pasha's meetings with senior American officials in Washington seem to have put the troubled Pak-US relations back on track. The threat of military aid suspension is off the table. That though was only an incidental issue used by Washington to put a squeeze on Islamabad to force it to take certain steps in support of its war in Afghanistan.
It did not work, nor was it likely to work because the differences involved core issues of concern to Pakistan including the Afghan war settlement, pressure to take on the Afghan Taliban in North Waziristan, intelligence sharing, and expulsion of American trainers. Reports now say the two sides have sorted out these issues to mutual satisfaction. The Americans assured General Pasha's team that they not only recognised Islamabad's interests in Afghanistan but also wanted it to play a larger role.
There is an agreement on intelligence sharing and issuance of visas to some trainers. Pakistanis also assured the other side that they would exercise their influence with the Afghan Taliban. Which, of course, is not the same thing as resort to force. Pakistan has on earlier occasions offered to use its contacts with major Taliban leaders, rather than military force - something the US has been demanding - to bring them to the negotiations table.
Its threat of punishment having failed the US, hopefully, has come to the realisation that there is a limit to its power of intimidation. Pakistan cannot be forced to do things that impinge on its primary interests. The threat of aid cut off has had the opposite effect. The military said it was already conducting successful military operations relying on its own resources, without any outside assistance. In other words, it could forgo US help. Also gaining strength is the argument that Pakistan should try and marshal its own resources to attain self-reliance. And that it should seek help from China, with which it shares regional and bilateral interests. As a matter of fact, following the recent public spat between Washington and Islamabad, Beijing held out the assurance that it would provide the necessary assistance to improve Pakistan's economy and the lives of its people.
Washington itself is in the process of wrapping up its combat operations in Afghanistan. For a while it has been holding direct negotiations with representatives of major Taliban factions, including Mullah Omar's men. In doing that it has deliberately been dodging Pakistan. Yet it has continued to demand that our military use force against the powerful Haqqani network so it can end the war on favourable terms. It needs to be noted also that the US' original war aim of fighting terrorism has changed, too; it now wants to obtain a long-term foothold in the region in the form of military bases in Afghanistan. Which is not exactly in consonance with this country's interests. In any case, Pakistan has to live and deal with the Afghans, and hence must not make enemies with them by fighting them on US' urging. Islamabad needs a friendly Kabul government in the post-war Afghanistan. It is only fair for it to want to hedge against any setback. Washington must understand Pakistan's concerns. Both countries need to work together to encourage peace and reconciliation in that unfortunate country.