US-Pak relations to remain "transactional" following Davis standoff: Analysts

Islamabad, Mar 18 (ANI): The release of CIA contractor Raymond Davis might have ended a damaging spy row, but the bilateral ties between the US and Pakistan are expected to merely remain "transactional" following the issue, analysts have said.

Davis flew out of Pakistan on Wednesday after two million dollars was paid in blood money to families of the two youths he had killed on Jan 27.

The Daily Times quoted defence analyst Talat Masood as saying that although the row has helped fix CIA-ISI ties, it has had a great impact on the Pakistani psyche about the government.

"I think CIA-ISI relations will have definitely improved. This would not have happened without their approval and an improvement in their relationship.

I think they tried to redefine their relationship... I think this will improve the level of confidence if they adhere to their deal," he said.

Masood, however, said that the 'blood money' issue over Davis' release would make Pakistani's feel that their government "has no spine and is prepared to sell everything."

According to analyst Imtiaz Gul, Pakistani people are of the opinion that America is only interested in maintaining relations to win the Afghan war, and the Davis saga has only reinforced that view.

"They have created a facade of a strategic partnership between the US and Pakistan but it will largely remain a transactional relationship, and this will continue," Gul said.

The analysts also said that there exists a secret battle between the CIA and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency over the anti-terrorist fight.

The ISI wanted to put a stop to the CIA's covert surveillance of terrorist networks operating in the country, while the CIA wanted greater involvement in the ISI's work to dismantle home grown terrorists, they said.

"One single incident showed the fragility of the relationship. As of now everyone thinks it is primarily based on Afghanistan," he said. "It would require a sustained relationship for quite some time for people to think otherwise. But American and Western interests in this region will not go away," Masood added. (ANI)