ISLAMABAD, March 10: The government is expected to convene a joint session of parliament in the third week of this month for giving final shape to ‘new terms of engagement’ with the United States as differences between key stakeholders on crucial issues, which were holding up completion of parliamentary review of ties, appear to have narrowed down.

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday told a group of reporters that the joint session could be held days after President Asif Ali Zardari’s address to parliament on March 17.

The prime minister did not give a specific date for the session on US, but sources suggest that it could be as early as March 19. Mr Gilani said that the process, once completed, would provide “parliamentary support” to the relationship that was previously run on an “ad hoc basis”.

In the prime minister’s view the ties suffered from a mutual lack of trust.

The parliament will debate and vote on recommendations of the Parliamentary Commission on National Security (PCNS), which had been tasked by the Defence Committee of the Cabinet to review relationship with Washington in the aftermath of the Nov 26 Salala tragedy and define fresh terms of engagement.

The PCNS had completed its proceedings on the matter weeks ago, setting broader parameters for the relationship.

The Foreign Office and government spokespersons cited preoccupation with constitutional matters as cause of the delay, but multiple sources confirmed that the process fell behind schedule because of lingering disagreements at home over thorny issues like drone attacks, terms for reopening of Nato supply route and red lines that the US would be expected to observe.

To quote one source: “Saner elements want the terms of engagement to be realistic.”

A senior defense source, meanwhile, described the current phase of internal consultations as an effort to fine-tune the ideas for Pak-US relations to suit the national interest over a long term. He was hopeful that a consensus would soon emerge, allowing the matter to be taken up by the parliament’s joint sitting.

Raza Rabbani, the PCNS chairman, told Dawn he was unaware of any consultations being carried out by the government after completion of his committee’s discussions.

Mr Rabbani said PCNS recommendations were about “broad parameters” of the relationship and were complete in all respects.

The inconsistent Pak-US relationship had been on a downward trajectory since last year when a CIA spy shot dead two young men in Lahore and aggravated further after the US raid on Osama bin Laden compound in Abbottabad. But the troubled ties turned virulent after the Nov 26 attack on Salala border post in which 24 Pakistani troops were killed.

The incident led to the parliamentary appraisal of cooperation with Washington.

As the review continues the relationship effectively remains on hold.

The US has indicated that it is keen to resume “normal contacts” in entirety.