Reopened supply routes signal deal

Washington took seven months to formally acknowledge its guilt over the killing of 26 Pakistani soldiers in November 2011. However, the acknowledgement was immediately followed by the Pakistan government's decision to reopen supply lines vital to NATO troops in Afghanistan. The reopening of the Ground Lines of Communication took many by surprise, the same way their closure did. But it is just another indication of the complexity of the relations between Pakistan and the United States.

Since early 2011, it has been quite clear that the government and especially Pakistan's armed forces want to review the terms of engagement with the US in the war on terror. This is natural considering the way Washington has increased the pressure on Islamabad by increasing the number of US operatives and their activities within Pakistan and ignoring, or rather bartering away, Pakistan's interests in Afghanistan.

But with mounting opposition in the US to its prolonged war in Afghanistan, Washington is desperately trying to make sure that it faces minimum hindrances to its withdrawal from Afghanistan, and it is trying to give the impression that the pullout is a sign of victory. With the presidential election coming up later this year, this has gained added significance. To ensure a smooth pullout, as well as stability after its troops withdraw, it needs Pakistan. So Pakistan's prolonged resistance to reopening the supply routes instead of meeting the demand to "do more" irritated Washington and further increased the mistrust between the two countries.