Mr Kerry said ties between Pakistan and the US were at a “critical moment” US envoy defends Bin Laden raid
Mr Kerry said ties between Pakistan and the US were at a “critical moment” Influential US Senator John Kerry has arrived in Islamabad for talks with Pakistani leaders.
He is the first high-level American official to visit Pakistan since the killing of Osama Bin Laden by US commandos two weeks ago.
Mr Kerry is set to meet President Asif Ali Zardari and PM Yousuf Raza Gilani to discuss the tense relationship between the two countries.
The Bin Laden operation has added to already strained ties.
The Pakistani government is angry that it was not told about the 2 May raid in advance and that its sovereignty was violated.
Some US officials have said areas of the Pakistani administration or intelligence services must have known that Bin Laden was living in the compound in the town of Abbottabad, about a kilometre from Pakistan’s Military Academy.
There is also anger in the US at the perception that Islamabad is not doing enough to combat Islamist militancy within its borders.
Speaking during a visit to the Afghan capital, Kabul, Mr Kerry warned that ties with Pakistan were at a “critical moment”.
He said evidence that the Pakistani government was aware of militant activities was “very disturbing” but that the two countries had to work together against terror groups.
“The important thing here is not to get into a recriminatory finger pointing, accusatory back and forth,” he said.
“The important thing is to understand that major, significant events have taken place in the last days that have a profound impact on what we have called the war on terror, a profound impact on our relationship as a result.”
Mr Kerry said Washington and Islamabad must “find a way to march forward” or risk “a set of downside consequences that can be profound”.
Pakistan is a key ally of the US in the battle against Islamist extremism, and Washington has sent billions of dollars in aid to Islamabad. Critics in Washington have said that recent events mean this aid should be reviewed.
On Saturday, Pakistan’s parliament condemned the Bin Laden raid and called for an end to unilateral action within its borders, including attacks on suspected militants by US drones.
It said logistical support for Nato troops in Afghanistan could be withdrawn if the strikes continued.
One senior Pakistani official said there remained a “difference of opinion” between the countries, “but we’ll continue our cooperation with the world as well as the United States”.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.