US Secretary of State Hillary Clintons recent visit to Islamabad has come at a crucial moment in the history of Pak-US relationship. There have been many ups and downs, but the two countries had always managed to settle the differences even when sanctions were imposed on Pakistan after the nuclear test on May 28, 1998. However, the events have taken a turn after 13 years, especially when Pakistanis were celebrating Yaum-e-Takbeer offering gratitude to the Almighty for having made Pakistan impregnable by virtue of nuclear capability, as a deterrent to any likely aggressor. And yet, strangely our enemies seem to be dead set to convert our strength and nuclear assets into a liability by saying that they might fall into the hands of the terrorists and endanger their security. Doubts are being publicly expressed not only by the foreign media, but also by the US State Department, Pentagon and even the White House, about our ability to safeguard them. At the same time, Osama bin Ladens (OBL) - real or fake - presence in Pakistan and USAs subsequent unilateral action in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011, provided further impetus to anti-Pakistan elements to articulate that Al-Qaeda can also penetrate in the countrys high security zones. In this context, some Congressmen have suggested to freeze US aid on Pakistan, forgetting that they were accusing the country that has been their ally in the so-called war on terror for the past 10 years; the people in Pakistan regard this as the most unkind treatment towards an ally, who had suffered so much in the war. Toeing USAs line, India also claimed that it can take unilateral action against terrorists hideouts in Pakistan. So, as a result of the attack on PNS Mehran on May 23, hell was let loose by those who desired to scuttle the Pak-US relations for their own vested interests that were: Target Pakistans army and ISI for its failure to ensure coordination and control of an adequate defence system at the national level and prevent the penetration of foreign terrorists in Pakistan. This indeed was done to undermine the trust and confidence of the people in their government, and even worst to strike a deadly blow against the credibility of the armed forces among the masses. Sid by side, Obama chose this ominous hour to announce that unilateral action against Pakistan on the pattern of May 2 would continue, if necessary. Not only this, but no guarantee could be provided to discontinue the drone attacks on the Pakistani soil. Hence, tension between the two countries has mounted by the hour, which if not handled with grace and restraint might damage their relations beyond repair. However, the sudden arrival of Secretary Clinton and Admiral Mullen was a timely visit to save the situation from getting worse. However, the visit could have yielded better results, if Hillary had extended her stay in Pakistan. In critical circumstances, a short visit certainly does not provide the environment for a result-oriented dialogue to take place. Above all, the Secretarys statement that the US wants Pakistan to start living up to its commitments in the fight against terrorism did not help to improve the Pak-US relations. Even milder statements like US investigations reveal no evidence that the higher Pakistani authorities were aware of OBLs presence in Abbottabad was not enough to compensate for the insults and injuries periodically inflicted by Washington. The question is: If the American administration genuinely believes so, then what was all the fuss about? And what was the need for the public speculation that somebody, somewhere, in Pakistan must have known about OBLs presence in that compound where he was found and killed by the American Special Forces? Anyway, whatever the circumstances might be, it is a fact that the US and Pakistan need to maintain good relations in the interest of the South Asian region and the world at large. n The writer is the President of Pakistan National Forum.