US, Pak can only get back to business after amicable Davis issue resolution: Grossman

Islamabad, Mar 8(ANI): The United States has made it clear to Pakistan that there will be no business as usual until the Raymond Davis matter gets resolved.

"I think, I'm confident that we can resolve this (Davis) problem and once we do we can get back to business ... we can build the relationship between the United States and Pakistan," the Dawn quoted US Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Mark Grossman, as saying at a meeting with a group of journalists.

Grossman's first visit to Islamabad after assuming the role of the regional envoy was being widely tipped as 'a relationship repair trip', but it threw up more questions than answers about the direction of US-Pak relations.

He said that his discussion with Pakistani interlocutors on bilateral assistance, US focus on Pakistan's security and their shared efforts on Afghanistan "underscores ... the central point and that is the relationship is based on mutual interest and the challenge obviously is to find that mutual interest, we have to identify that and we are clearly on that".

The mutual interest appears to have been lost in the row over immunity for Davis, as Grossman repeatedly insisted on the detained US national's immediate release during his about 30-minute media interaction.

Grossman called for getting the Davis 'irritant' out of the US-Pak relationship, and also reminded the Pakistan leadership that both countries "are best served when we stand together".

Further emphasising on the importance of Islamabad and Washington being together, Grossman noted that it was crucial for restoring peace in Afghanistan through a negotiated solution and ensuring stability in the region.

In his meeting with Pakistani leaders, Grossman said he noted the nexus between the insurgency in Afghanistan and the safe terrorist havens in Pakistan's tribal areas, and demanded the eradication of those sanctuaries.

"The (Afghan reconciliation) process relies on Pakistan taking decisive action" against the Taliban running insurgency from Pakistani territory, the US envoy stressed. (ANI)