AMERICAN media reports stating that the CIA has agreed to give Pakistan advance notice of drone strikes carried out in its territory indicate that a major irritant in US-Pakistan ties may be removed. That the Wall Street Journal story has not been contradicted by American officials lends credence to it and is a sign of greater awareness in the Obama administration of the negative consequences of such strikes which have been continuing in Pakistan since 2004. Apart from the question of legality of foreign planes entering a sovereign country and taking hostile action, the drone strikes have killed hundreds of innocent people — they have often missed their target or hit the wrong one. While the government has maintained a duplicitous policy — publicly criticising America for the strikes but tacitly accepting the latter — popular reaction in Pakistan has been one of intense anger. Some drones have indeed served their purpose, killing wanted terrorists; but many victims of the Hellfire missiles fired by US drones were 'suspected militants', and, in many cases, turned out to be civilian casualties. Under the new arrangement reportedly worked out between the CIA and the State Department, the latter will have a greater say in such strikes, Pakistan will receive advance warnings of such attacks, and the strikes will remain suspended when Pakistani officials visit America, though common sense suggests it should be the other way around.

Some six months after US-Pakistan relations hit a new low following the Abbottabad raid in May, matters seem to be on the mend. At the last high-level talks, when Hillary Clinton visited Islamabad last month, Pakistan's point of view on a number of issues, including the issue of the Haqqani network, was made explicitly clear to US officials. The Obama administration has also gradually distanced itself from the now retired US military chief Mike Mullen's irresponsible allegations, linking the ISI to the attack on the US embassy in Kabul. While irresponsible voices in Congress still demand an aid cut-off, the administration has shown no proclivity for such a rash act. On the other hand, in her message to Congress on Friday, Ms Clinton defended the continuation of aid to Pakistan and warned that disengaging at this stage could hurt US security interests.

The decade-old war has cost Pakistan 40,000 lives, led to political discord and caused colossal economic dislocation. Given its geographical location, demographic realities and geopolitical constraints Pakistan has its own perspective. The latter may not be fully in sync with America's, but it must be understood. Fortunately, there is evidence that America is showing an understanding of Pakistan's position.