Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistani and US officials are continuing to meet andcooperate “at all levels”, despite the suspension of $1.1bn in US aid andamid fiery statements by political leaders declaring the end of Islamabad’salliance with Washington, diplomats told Al Jazeera.
“There is no freeze [in relations],” said a senior Pakistani foreignministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We are speaking toeach other, at all levels. We are not sharing the details of that at thistime, but the effort to find some common ground or traction on both sidesis there.”
A US State Department official, also speaking on condition of anonymity,confirmed that talks between the two sides were “ongoing”.
A high level visit by a senior US diplomat to the Pakistani capital isexpected in the coming week, with talks on moving an increasingly troubledrelationship forward.INSIDE STORY: Will Donald Trump cut all aid to Palestine and Pakistan?
On Friday, Pakistan’s powerful military, which has ruled the country forroughly half of its 70-year history, confirmed that Army Chief GeneralQamar Javed Bajwa had spoken with US CENTCOM military commander GeneralJoseph Votel twice in the last week, as well to an unnamed US senator.
A day earlier, Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed the twosides were “continu[ing] to communicate with each other on various issuesof mutual interest at different levels”.
The diplomatic and military contacts are at odds with public statementsmade by both Pakistani and US leaders.
Earlier this week, Pakistani Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir claimed thatPakistan had suspended all military and intelligence cooperation with theUnited States, a claim the US State department denied, and which seems tobe at odds with General Bajwa’s contact with the US CENTCOM chief.
“We have received no notification regarding a suspension in defence andintelligence cooperation,” said Richard Snelsire, the spokesperson for theUS embassy in Islamabad.
Last week, Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif declared that analliance with the United States was “over”link>,after US President Donald Trump suspended $1.1bn in aid and accusedPakistan of harbouring armed groups that fight US forces in neighbouringAfghanistan.
The foreign ministry appeared on Friday to publicly back down from thatposition.
“The remarks of the foreign minister need to be seen in the properperspective,” said Muhammad Faisal, the ministry’s spokesperson. “Theforeign minister was expressing his frustration at the unwarranted USaccusations against Pakistan and the unilateral decision to suspend thesecurity assistance, despite Pakistan’s extraordinary sacrifices andcontribution in the war against terrorism.”