Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has ruled out reviewing all aspects of Pakistan’s relations with U.S. after Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan’s outburst last week blaming the U.S. for sabotaging peace talks by targeting Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader Hakimullah Mehsud.
Reacting to Mehsud’s death Mr. Khan last Saturday said that the entire perspective of Pakistan-U.S. relations are going to be reviewed and also the level of cooperation in a meeting of the Cabinet committee on national security. Every aspect of U.S.-Pakistan cooperation will be discussed and reviewed, he said. The meeting of this committee has not taken place either.
However, official sources on Thursday said the issue was not discussed with the Prime Minister and the rhetoric of one Minister cannot become a policy statement. The sources said it would be business as usual with the U.S. and a review of ties was not going to take place.
The government had also served a demarche on the U.S. Ambassador protesting the drone strike. Mr. Khan said the drone strike was an attack on the peace process and a deliberate attempt by the U.S. to foil it.
