No change in US policy toward Pakistan

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Thursday ruled out any change in the United States' Pakistan policy; however, she said that her country's parliament will decide upon new terms of future engagements with the war on terror ally. Talking to reporters, after attending a session of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar said that the Parliament would decide on the terms of future relations with the United States and the issue of NATO supply to Afghanistan. She said that Pakistan had diplomatic relations with the US and that it wanted to have bilateral relations with all the countries on an equal basis. She said that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has assured Islamabad that there has been no change in Washington's policy towards Pakistan. Federal Defense Minister Ahmed Mukhtar on the other hand also told the media that the parliamentary committee will decide about the resumption of NATO supply lines, being suspended since the Salala check post incident. Foreign Minister Khar also expressed concerns over US Congress resolution on Baluchistan and said that Pakistan's ambassador to Washington, Sherry Rehman, has been directed to convey the country's concerns to the Congress. She termed the congress resolution on the Baluchistan situation as unacceptable. US-Pakistan relations nosedived to the lowest after last year's US forces' attack on the Pakistani border check post that killed twenty-four soldiers and wounded thirteen others. Pakistan blocked all supply lines to US forces fighting in Afghanistan and demanded an apology. A local press report suggested that the US is likely to tender an apology in this regard soon.