Islamabad: Pakistan on Saturday reiterated its demand for institutionalising intelligence and security cooperation with the US in the war on terror to address the mistrust that has characterised relations since the covert American raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May.
President Asif Ali Zardari raised the issue of institutionalising mutual cooperation during a meeting with Senator John McCain, a former presidential candidate and ranking member of the US Senate Armed Services Committee.
Zardari called for "specifying clear and unambiguous terms of engagements in the war against the militants in order to avoid adverse impacts on bilateral relations owing to difference of opinion and stances on various issues."
The two sides need to build a "framework for an enduring strategic partnership", he said.
Both countries need to work "more closely in institutionalising the mutual cooperation" and to cement relations based on "mutual interest and mutual respect", Zardari said.
Against the backdrop of mounting tensions triggered by the raid against bin Laden and the strained relations between the spy agencies of the US and Pakistan, Zardari had raised the need for "clear terms of engagement" for the first time during a meeting with US Special Representative Marc Grossman on August 1.
He had then said that the terms of engagement should be agreed upon beforehand so that "conflicting positions and unilateral actions did not adversely impact on bilateral ties".
Zardari had also warned that "wrong plugs may be pulled at the wrong times by any side" in the absence of institutionalised cooperation.
The two countries have grappled with mistrust and tensions that have affected the campaign against militants and US aid for Pakistan.
Washington recently announced it was withholding $800 million in military aid for Islamabad. The tensions have also affected the Strategic Dialogue between the two sides.
After Pakistani authorities recently imposed restrictions on the movement of American diplomats, the US warned it could retaliate by putting in place similar measures for Pakistani diplomats.
Sources said McCain raised the matter during his meeting with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and asked the Pakistani side not to insist on American diplomats obtaining "no objection certificates" for their movements.
During his meeting with Zardari, McCain discussed Pakistan-US relations, the war on terror and the regional situation, presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.
Zardari said Pakistan wanted to build a long-term, sustainable and multi dimensional relationship with the US "marked by mutual understanding of each others' interest, mutual trust and respect."
"The war against terror was a long drawn war. It was important that root causes of militancy and reasons for drift towards extremism were also addressed," Zardari said.
A multi-pronged strategy encompassing socio-economic, political and educational measures and judicious use of power could address the challenge of militancy and militant mindset, he added.
Pakistan had suffered economic losses of $68 billion and lost 35,000 people in this fight and is "determined to pursue this war till its logical conclusion", Zardari said.
Zardari also raised the issue of recent moves in the US Congress to reduce aid under the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Act. Gilani told McCain that Pakistan wants to have an enduring partnership with the US and the "relationship should go beyond cooperation on terrorism".
Gilani said he would welcome the visit by US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.
McCain acknowledged that US-Pakistan relations "had seen difficult times in the past" but made it clear that it is "not in the US national interest to abandon Pakistan once again."
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