WASHINGTON - The United States wants Pakistan’s judicial proceedings dealing with an alleged secret memo scandal implicating former Ambassador Hussain Haqqani to go forward in accordance with the country’s Constitution and international law, a senior US official said on Tuesday.
‘We’ve said regularly with regard to this case, with regard to other judicial proceedings in Pakistan, that we want to see judicial proceedings go forward in accordance with the Pakistani Constitution, including the protection on citizens rights and in accordance with international law’, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said in response to a series of questions at the daily briefing.
Specifically asked about the situation of Haqqani, who is barred from travelling abroad, the spokesperson said the State Department was following the developments, but that ‘it’s an internal Pakistani matter’. Repeatedly asked whether the US had any concern over Haqqani’s situation, Nuland would not go beyond saying, ‘We consider it an internal Pakistani matter’. QUESTION: You don’t have any concerns (about Haqqani), though, at the moment? NULAND: I don’t have any statement to make on that case from this podium, no.
Answering other questions, the spokesperson said the US wants to normalise its relationship with Pakistan, as the ties between the two countries showed no signs of any improvement at the start of the new year. ‘We want to get back to normal and get into a full counter-terrorism relationship again. We think that’s important not only for US security, but for Pakistani security and for the security of the entire region. So those conversations will continue’, Nuland told reporters.
The United States continues to talk to the Pakistani government at all levels, she said, adding, that its Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter has been back in touch with the Pakistanis after the New Year holidays.
Earlier in the day, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little expressed hope that the NATO supply route would be reopened by Pakistan soon, talks for which are going on right now. ‘As of now, the supplies are being airlifted’, he said.  Responding to questions, Nuland said the US has its reservations on the gas pipeline between Iran and Pakistan, which was meant to be extended to India.
‘We’ve made absolutely clear over many months now our concern about this deal and we will continue to talk to Pakistan about it. You know, were it is to go forward, how it might be impacted — again, this is the kind of conversation that we have to have with Pakistan and that we’re starting to have now’, Nuland said.