US, Pakistan resolve to restore bilateral ties: Report

The United States and Pakistan have agreed to restore their bilateral relationship during a meeting between US Defence Secretary James Mattis and Islamabad’s Ambassador in America Ali Jahangir, according to a media report.

Mattis and Jahangir met at the Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Department of Defence, where the two held discussions on the ties between their countries and regional security in South Asia, Pakistan’s Express Tribune newspaper reported.

The meeting took place following the July 25 elections in Pakistan which saw the cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emerging as the single biggest party in Parliament.

The relations between Pakistan and the United States had nosedived this January after President Donald Trump accused Islamabad of giving nothing to Washington but “lies and deceit” and providing “safe haven” to terrorists.

Subsequently, the White House had confirmed suspending its USD 255 million military aid to Pakistan, saying the fate of such assistance would depend on Islamabad’s response to combat terrorism on its soil.

Earlier, US Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert had highlighted that the US will look for opportunities to work with the new government to advance goals of security, stability, and prosperity in South Asia.