US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had a telephonic conversation with Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar on Thursday at a time when the two countries are trying to mend fences following the US covert operation in Abbottabad and the recent abduction of an American citizen Warren Weinstein from Lahore.
According to Foreign Office both the Foreign Ministers had a constructive exchange of views on carrying forward the trajectory of bilateral relations during the talks. They reiterated the importance of US-Pakistan relations and agreed to work closely to enhance mutually beneficial regional cooperation, added the Foreign Office. The telephone call came at a time when two strategic partners are trying to normalise the mutual ties disturbed following US covert operation on May 02 in which Osama bin Laden was killed.
The fresh conversation between the two foreign ministers came following US Ambassador Cameron Munter meeting with Hina Rabbani Khar that held the other day at the Foreign Office. During the meeting, the sources said that Munter had demanded an early recovery of Warren Weinstein, an American citizen kidnapped by unknown persons from his Lahore residence on August 13.
Diplomatic sources said that Washington was worried over the safe recovery of its citizen-Weinstein and the recent telephone call by Clinton followed by a meeting by Munter with foreign minister Khar, were steps to put pressure on Islamabad to ensure safe recovery of its citizen.
Weinstein, about which Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah claimed that he was engaged in mysterious activities like those of Raymond Davis, was kidnapped by unknown persons from his Lahore residence on August 13. The sources further said that the two foreign ministers also discussed the expected meeting of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani with Secretary of State Clinton and other high ups of the US in September this year on the sidelines of UN General Assembly in New York.