ISLAMABAD: Differences with Washington over an Abbottabad-like unilateral action against terrorists on Pakistan territory have yet to be sorted out and the two sides are negotiating the matter, the Foreign Office said on Saturday.

“The most important thing is to have reasonable and reasoned discussions at official level with the US government and those continue,” said Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua at a press briefing in reply to questions about reports that the United States was not ready to forgo the option of unilateral strikes inside Pakistan if ‘actionable intelligence’ about high-value targets came its way.

“We need to move away from unilateral action towards cooperation, which serves the interest of countering terrorism,” she added.

Unilateral American operations inside Pakistan territory appear to be the core issue in the talks with Washington aimed at easing tensions in the aftermath of the May 2 raid in which Osama bin Laden was killed in Abbottabad.

John Kerry, the chairman of US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told journalists after his ice-breaking talks earlier this week that his country would not need to act unilaterally if Pakistan cooperated. But subsequent statements by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Special Envoy Marc Grossman unequivocally pointed towards an unchanged policy on unilateral strikes against alleged hideouts.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, during his visit to China, had claimed he had been assured by US officials that there would be no more unilateral action in Pakistan. “If there is any information about a high-value target, that information needs to be shared and there will be a joint operation,” Mr Gilani said in Beijing.

What was important to note at Ms Janjua’s briefing was a clear signal that despite continued differences over unilateral strikes both countries remained engaged, which in a way denoted a mutual realisation that the two needed each other.

While Ms Janjua was speaking at the briefing US Ambassador Cameron Munter was meeting Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir. Mr Bashir will join US and Afghan officials early next week in Kabul at a trilateral meeting.

The spokesperson said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would visit Pakistan, but the dates had yet to be decided.

Mrs Clinton’s proposed visit to Islamabad for finalising the new terms of bilateral engagement depends on the progress of the ongoing talks. Mr Grossman, accompanied by CIA Deputy Director Mark Morrell and other US officials, initiated the parleys last week for sorting out impediments in the relationship.

While Washington needs continued support by Islamabad for the endgame in Afghanistan and uninterrupted flow of supplies to its forces, Pakistan depends on America for its economic and defence requirements.

“Yes, Pakistan-US relations are passing through a period of stress. Both are capable of ensuring that the merits of this important relationship prevail for mutual benefit. Our communications with the US are indicative of the desire to steer relations in a productive direction,” the spokesperson said.

Islamabad, in view of increased problems in ties with Washington, has begun efforts to reset its relations with Moscow and is getting closer to Beijing. But Pakistani strategists are fully cognisant that neither China nor Russia could replace the US as chief provider of its economic and defence needs.

“Every relationship, whether with the US or with China or with Russia, are standalone relationships. Each has its own merits and each relationship has it own value,” she said, adding the country’s multi-track engagement with the immediate region and other international players was designed to safeguard national interests.

Ms Janjua condoled with the Saudi government over the death of its consulate officer in a terrorist attack in Karachi. But there was no word of condemnation of the attack on a US consulate vehicle in Peshawar on Friday in which a bystander was killed and several injured.