U.S. Ambassador in Islamabad Cameron Munter Tuesday
met the Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and explored ways
to "revive" normal relationship, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry sources
said.
Relations between Pakistan and the United States, the two close
allies in the so-called war on terror, have been at the lowest ebb since
U.S. fighter jets and helicopters bombed two Pakistani posts and killed
24 soldiers in November 2011.
Pakistan last week snubbed U.S. special envoy Marc Grossman who
wanted to visit Islamabad for consultations on talks with the Taliban in
Qatar.
Sources said that Pakistan is likely to invite the U.S. special envoy
next month and it was discussed in the Tuesday's meeting of the
Pakistani Foreign Minister and the U.S. ambassador.
The meeting took place a day after Pakistan army issued a report
about the U.S. raid on Pakistani posts and rejected the U.S. claim that
the raid had been conducted in self-defence.
The army, in its detailed reaction to a U.S. inquiry report, said the
U.S. fighter jets and helicopters carried out "unprovoked engagement of
Pakistani posts located inside Pakistan violating their mandate which
is limited to Afghanistan alone".
"The fundamental cause of the incident of November 26, 2011 was the
failure of U.S./ISAF to share its near-border operation with Pakistan at
any level," an army statement said.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in its inquiry report last month
said the U.S. forces had failed to verify the location of the Pakistani
units before ordering the attack but blamed the Pakistani forces for
firing first.
The Pentagon termed Pakistan's army report as "simply false" and insisted that the U.S. fired in self-defence.
The statements showed that there is no ease in tension between the
two allies and sources said the U.S. envoy and Pakistani Foreign
Minister stressed to avoid public accusations to restore confidence.
Pakistani Foreign Minister told the United States that the parliament
will soon hold debate on the future relationship with the United States
and terms of engagements in Afghanistan, sources said. Xinhua
