12-jun-2012 The United States said on Monday it was withdrawing its team of negotiators from Pakistan without securing a long-sought deal on supply routes for the war in neighbour Afghanistan, publicly exposing a diplomatic stalemate and deeply strained relations that appear at risk of deteriorating further.
“If the civilian government in Islamabad would bite the bullet and make the political decision to open the ground lines of communication, that would deflect some of the negativity right now,” the official told Reuters.
“It wouldn’t automatically turn things around, but that would be an important step.”
Although the US official suggested Pakistan would have to take several steps to repair heavily damaged ties, he said the strategic allies could not afford a rupture.
“We have longer-term interests that we must keep in mind. The interests are nuclear, it is counter-terrorism and it is also reconciliation in Afghanistan for a relatively peaceful and stable region,” said the US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“So you know, the heightened sentiments in Washington will eventually have to come to a point where people say hold on, we have bigger interests here.”
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