2011 was a difficult year for Pak-US relations, witnessing several ups and downs. With the US-NATO air-strikes on Salala posts on November 26, however, the year ended on the most negative note in US-Pakistan relations for decades.
The first nail in the coffin of Pak-US relations was in February 2011 when Raymond Davis, a CIA contractor killed two Pakistanis in Lahore. The Embassy car that he summoned to his assistance was on the wrong side and killed a cyclist. While the car made its escape Davis was taken into custody.
The Pakistani public demanded that the accused be tried in a court of law, however the Islamic law of compensation was invoked and the establishment reportedly brokered a deal between the Americans and the heirs of those killed and Davis was safely boarded on a plane for Kabul. In this instance, however there is a perception that the establishment took a decision that was at variance with the wishes of the people of Pakistan - and the civilian government fully supported the establishment.
On May 2 the US unilaterally raided the compound in Abbottabad, where Osama bin Laden was resident and killed him. The Pakistan military and ISI publicly admitted incompetence in remaining unaware of bin Laden's whereabouts for the six years that he had been resident in the same compound. The option was complicity and the establishment may have felt that incompetence was the preferable of the two evils. However the establishment decided to send back US military trainers deputed in the country to train Pakistan security forces.
However, these two incidents including public anger against escalating US drone strikes, which Wikileaks revealed were supported by both the Pakistani civilian government and the military, did not impact on relations between the US and Pakistan officialdom (government and military) though some actions and routine denouncements did take place.
However, official Pak-US relations witnessed a serious setback when US-NATO helicopters attacked Pakistani Salala post killing at least two dozen soldiers. By the turn of the year, both strategic partners had abandoned even the pretext of a transactional relationship. Pakistan by freezing visas and NATO transit facilities and the US by freezing military aid.
The incident was followed by several other critical measures by Islamabad taking back the Shamsi air-base earlier known for CIA drone operations in the tribal areas and a complete review of bilateral ties as well as terms of engagements.
"Pakistan-US relations have witnessed many ups and downs. Since the Raymond Davis case and November US/NATO attacks on the two Pakistani posts at Salala, things have come to a point where it is necessary to rewrite our bilateral terms of engagement", admitted Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit, while giving an overview of the foreign policy.
This will be good for both the countries, he said, adding that policies based on realistic and shared objectives would be far more tenable than a relationship facing frequent strains because of opaqueness and unilateral actions. "We want our relations with the US to be based on mutual respect, mutual trust and mutual interest", the spokesman remarked.
September was also most critical for the bilateral ties between the two when the then US chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen accused Pakistan's premier spy agency ISI for waging 'proxy war' in Afghanistan through Haqqani Network. The accusation came following a deadliest attack on US embassy in Kabul, which brought the two strategic partners at odds again.
A recent report published in New York Times claimed that US was planning to curtail relations with Pakistan. The report further claimed that Washington is facing the reality that its broad security partnership with Pakistan is over and that American officials are trying to salvage a more limited counterterrorism alliance that they acknowledge will complicate their ability to launch attacks against extremists and move supplies into Afghanistan. Additionally, the United States aid to Pakistan will also be reduced sharply, the report further said.
The US Embassy here in Islamabad, however, is confident that bilateral relations between the two countries would be back on track. "The United States is committed to have meaningful bilateral relationship with Pakistan", US Embassy spokesman Mark Stroh told Business Recorder. "We are eager to improve cooperation and co-ordination across the full range of bilateral issues", Stroh added.
However, independent analysts are of the view that though the 2011 remained 'very bad' for the ties between the two countries yet they don't believe that 2012 will bring positive developments in relationship between the two strategic partners. "The year 2011 was very bad for the ties between the two countries because of trust deficit in mutual relations and the discovery of Osama bin Laden from Abbottabad compound", said Imtiaz Gul, a senior journalist and analyst.