Pakistan views Hina Rabbani Khar -Hillary Clinton meet as ‘positive, constructive’

Pakistan Friday described the meeting between Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in London as “positive and constructive”.

The Khar-Clinton’s meeting Thursday came as relations between the two allies are strained on a variety of issues, especially since last year’s killing of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden at his hideout deep inside Pakistan and NATO strikes at two border checkposts killing 24 Pakistani soldiers.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of an international conference on Somalia, convened by British Prime Minister David Cameron, Xinhua reported.

Addressing a weekly press briefing, Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Basit Friday said: “You will agree with me that Pakistan-US relations are important and we are trying to make these relations transparent and predictable.”

“We are waiting for the completion of our parliamentary process. We will proceed further in the light of parliamentary guidelines,” the spokesman said, referring to the review of future relationship with the US.

Asked about reports that Clinton informed Khar about commencement of drone strikes in Pakistan, Basit said Pakistan believes that the US drone strikes were unlawful and unacceptable and “these strikes hamper counter-terrorism efforts and realisation of shared objectives”.

“We have been raising this issue with the US bilaterally. We have not yet taken a decision in this regard,” the spokesman said.