Panetta calls for improvement in Pak-U.S relations and confident of re-opening of NATO routes

Panetta calls for improvement in Pak-U.S relations and confident of re-opening of NATO routes

United States Defense Secretary, Leon E. Panetta, believes that the U.S must patch up their relations with Pakistan because without their support they cannot win the Afghanistan war.

“It is essential to stability in that region that we not only achieve a peaceful resolution with regards to Afghanistan, but that we are able to develop a more stable relationship with Pakistan as well. If that region is ever going
to find peace, it is going to happen not only by achieving stability in Afghanistan, but also by achieving some degree of stability in Pakistan as well.”

Panetta added that the relations between Pakistan and U.S have always been very complicated but America must step in to improve it.

The secretary noted that Pakistan has provided important cooperation to the United States. “At the same time, we have had some serious difficulties with regards to some of the operations that involve groups in the federally administered
tribal areas (Fata) and groups along the border,” he said.

Relations between the two nations have deteriorated since the May 2^nd operation in Abottabad that supposedly killed Osama Bin Laden. The Secretary added that they have faced some serious difficulties with operations
in the tribal areas. He also revealed that they will set up an investigation on why the relations between the two countries deteriorated and what would be the future plan.

Panetta is satisfied with the amount of supplies the troops have to continue the Afghanistan operation and believes that the command structure has done an incredible job.

“Our command structure has done an incredible job ensuring that one way or another, we are able to get those supplies in,” he said.

The Secretary is confident that Pakistan will re-open the routes of NATO supplies. Pakistan have blocked their border routes to take the supply to Afghanistan. “I am confident that will happen,” Panetta said. “I remain confident
that at one point, we are going to be able to restore our normal supply routes.”

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=6019

Posted by Muhammad Basit Khan on Dec 13 2011. Filed under Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry