WASHINGTON, July 2: New tensions in relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan will be the focus of talks when Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meet in Washington on July 10.

“Yes, Afghanistan will be the main subject of discussion,” said Akram Shaheedi, a spokesman for the Pakistan Embassy. “But other subjects, such as the US-Pakistan strategic dialogue, will also be discussed.”

Mr Kasuri, who arrives here on July 9, will have a busy schedule, explaining Pakistan’s Afghan policy to US officials and the media. His lecture at Carnegie Endowment is also expected to focus on Afghanistan and so will be his talks with US congressmen.

Senior members of the Bush administration have noted with concern that both Pakistan and Afghanistan have gone public with their differences.

“Both acknowledge that the terrorists have increased their activities but instead of working with each other to curb terrorism, they keep exchanging blames,” said a senior US official.

One official said that earlier this year the US had used its influence to prevent Kabul from issuing lists of suspected terrorist hideouts in Pakistan to the media.

While some elements complain that Pakistan needs to do more, others say that Afghan President Hamid Karzai also has failed in curbing insurgency.

Three major US newspapers –- New York Times, Washington Post and Chicago Tribune -– noted that Mr Karzai was losing international support as “his government seemed increasingly overwhelmed by an escalating Taliban insurgency, endemic corruption and failure to preserve rule of law throughout the country.”

But officials here also seem unhappy with Islamabad because of its failure to capture any of the main Taliban or Al Qaeda leaders.

“In the 21st century, it is difficult to accept the argument that since we do not have direct administrative control over the tribal areas, we cannot do anything,” said one official, suggesting that Pakistan should reconsider the semi-autonomous status given to tribal areas.

Discussions with US officials and diplomatic observers here indicate that Pakistan is not receptive to any suggestion to change the status of the tribal territory because officials in Islamabad believe that it will open an entirely new set of problems which they may not be able to control.

“The British tried this for a century and failed. What makes the Americans think that we can do it,” asked a senior Pakistani diplomat. “It will be a disaster.”

Other US officials, however, seem sympathetic to Islamabad’s proposal to fence the Pakistan-Afghan border, admitting that it could help reduce cross-border attacks by the Taliban and Al Qaeda loyalists.

But, they are also aware that fencing the border will be seen in Afghanistan as recognition of the Durand Line and will not be acceptable to the nationalist lobby in Kabul.

Besides having to tackle such thorny issues, Mr Kasuri will also have to make an extra effort to undo what has been described by certain circles here the negative impact he made on Secretary Rice during their joint press conference in Islamabad last week.

Almost all major US newspapers pointed out that Secretary Rice was not happy with Mr Kasuri’s sharp, retaliatory remarks while responding to a US reporter’s question about Pakistan’s alleged failure to curb insurgents operating along the Pakistan-Afghan border.