Pakistan - Grossman's visit

THE US State Department revealed on Tuesday that Pakistan has asked special envoy Marc Grossman not to stop in Pakistan during his current tour of the Middle East. Given ongoing Pakistani resentment over November`s Nato strike, this would not have been as surprising if the focus of the visit had been US-Pakistan relations.

But the purpose of Mr Grossman`s tour is to discuss with a number of countries in the region the reconciliation effort with the Afghan Taliban, which has acquired new momentum after the public opening of the Taliban office in Qatar. Pakistan has always demonstrated a justifiable interest in being involved in these talks given its concerns about the stability of its next-door neighbour.

And Taliban reconciliation has proven to be a touchand-go business, as demonstrated by slowdowns following the assassination of Burhanuddin Rabbani last year and the discovery of a fake interlocutor in 2010.

Why, then, the unwillingness to take advantage of this opportunity for involvement now that talks are starting up again? It is true that parliament has not yet deliberated on recommendations made by the Parliamentary Committee on National Security about the shape that relations with the US should take inthe aftermath of the Nato strike. That was apparently the reason given for declining to host Mr Grossman.

But given the weak implementation of previous political consensuses that have been reached on national security issues, this excuse rings hollow. Surely a discussion on Taliban reconcillation has ramifications for Pakistan beyond the US-Pakistan relationship and could have been conducted while waiting for parliament`s conclusions? This move is reminiscent of the decision to boycott December`s Bonn conference on the future of Afghanistan. The administration and army have expressed their strong resentment over the November incident, Nato supplies have been suspended and the Shamsi airbase vacated.

Plenty of public and private signals have been sent and enough resentment demonstrated, including by the Defence Committee of the Cabinet less than a week ago. And in an American election year, Pakistan should give up any hope of an apology from the Obama administration. Parliament must speed up its deliberations and make a realistic assessment of Pakistan`s needs and interests as it designs a new relationship.

Meanwhile, the administration must carefully weigh the opportunities it is missing while it waits.