ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and the United States on Monday returned to talks amid a war of words between the uneasy allies who had been threatening to part ways in the recent weeks.

US Acting Assistant Secretary of State Ambassador Alice Wells flew to Islamabad to hold talks with Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua in a bid to rebuild the friendship.

At the meeting, Wells was accompanied by senior officials from the US National Security Council and US Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale. Janjua was assisted by senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Wells termed Pakistan’s support critical to the success of the US strategy for Afghanistan, said a foreign ministry statement. She said Pakistan was an immediate neighbour of Afghanistan and important country of the region.

To this end, Wells underlined “the need for strengthening intelligence cooperation between the two sides to improve coordination in counter-terrorism efforts,” said the statement.

She noted the importance of the longstanding bilateral relationship and acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts in eradicating terrorism. Wells “conveyed the US desire to work with Pakistan in furthering the shared objectives of stabilising Afghanistan,” the statement added.

An official who attended the meeting told The Nation that Well’s body language was friendly and there were indications the US wanted to engage Pakistan.

“The US delegation appreciated Pakistan’s role in the war on terror and Pakistan’s positive attitude towards Afghanistan peace,” he said.

He said: “Wells was cooperative, not assertive. The talks were more like allies than uneasy partners. Of course, they have their demands and we have our views on several issues. The two sides are looking for a middle way out.”

The two countries threatened to quit alliance after US President Donald Trump’s controversial tweet last month in which he announced to suspend aid to Pakistan for allegedly deceiving the US in the war on terror.

Pakistan rejected US allegations that it was not taking action against all terror networks and also questioned Trump’s claim of giving $33 billion to Pakistan as security assistance. Islamabad said it had fought the anti-terror war largely from its own resources for the sake of country’s and global peace.

Amid tension, Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan had said Pak-US intelligence sharing and defence cooperation had been suspended. The US denied the claim. Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said Pak-US alliance was ‘over’ after the US ‘betrayal’.

Last week, Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa told US Central Command chief Gen Joseph Votel that Pakistan will not seek resumption of the US security aid.

Bajwa had said that Pakistan expected honourable recognition of “our contributions, sacrifices and unwavering resolve in the fight against terrorism for peace and stability in the region.”

The army chief had assured Gen Votel that Pakistan will keep supporting all initiatives for peace in Afghanistan despite the tendency to “scapegoat” Pakistan, as peace in Afghanistan was the only way to move towards an enduring peace and stability in the region.

However, Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammed Faisal had said that Pakistan and the US were in talks to remove the misunderstandings. He said there had been “provocative statements” by the US leadership but Pakistan was against quitting the partnership in the interest of the region.

On the Janjua-Wells meeting, the foreign ministry said the visit was part of “regular engagement” between the two countries on “bilateral and regional cooperation.”

Janjua, the foreign ministry statement said, underscored that the relationship with the US needed to “move forward’ under an environment of mutual trust and respect”.

“(The) US delegation was apprised of the recent counter-terrorism actions taken by Pakistan that has contributed to a visible improvement in the security situation in the country. It was mentioned that “these comprehensive counter-terrorism actions would also contribute towards peace and stability in the entire region,” it said.

In the context of the regional situation, the foreign secretary expressed concerns on the continued use of Afghan soil by elements hostile to Pakistan’s stability.

She said that strengthening border management mechanisms between Pakistan and Afghanistan was vital to addressing concerns relating to cross-border movements.

The early repatriation of Afghan refugees was also important for improving relations with Afghanistan, she emphasised. The foreign secretary reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to continue its efforts for promoting peace and stability in the region.

She drew the attention of the US delegation to the recent irresponsible statement by Indian army chief Bipin Rawat and the pattern of escalation by India on the Line of Control and the Working Boundary.

She condemned Indian mortar attacks on Pakistani posts resulting in the death of Pakistani soldiers last night. She asked the US side to advise restraint to India and stop its escalation tactics.

“The two sides agreed that all initiatives owned and led by the Afghans for seeking a peaceful solution should be supported by the regional countries. Pakistan’s positive role in several peace initiatives was appreciated,” said the statement.

Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Faisal said it was Wells third visit to Pakistan since last August. “It is part of the regular engagement between the two countries to find common ground on shared objectives of peace and stability in the region,” he said. Faisal said Wells visit was already scheduled.

PAKISTAN, US NEED TO GET CLOSER: MIFTAH

Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Miftah Ismail on Monday said that relations between Pakistan and the United States have been affected by certain recent developments and it is important to remove the misperceptions.

He made these remarks in a meeting with US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Ambassador Alice Wells. They discussed current state of Pak-US ties with particular emphasis on economic cooperation.

Dr Ismail welcomed the planned visit of US business delegations and said that people-to-people contacts were an important part of a bilateral relationship. He expressed his support for the business community’s efforts aimed at furthering Pak-US economic ties. He said that Pakistan has made visible headway in overcoming energy crisis which has given a boost to the country’s productive sectors. This in turn is having a positive impact on overall economic activities and the GDP is growing steadily, he said.

Wells said that Pak-US relationship was important and the US would like to carry it forward. She lauded the reforms that Pakistan has undertaken in different economic spheres and expressed the US support for similar reform efforts in the future.

US Ambassador David Hale, Secretary Finance Arif Ahmed Khan and other officials were also present.