WASHINGTON: The United States is sending Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Pakistan to redefine its ties with the country, while the Obama administration has once again delayed the strategic dialogue, which was to be held in Islamabad this month.

But before she heads to Islamabad later this month, Secretary Clinton is sending her special envoy for the region, Mark Grossman for preparatory talks. He would be there later this week.

Mr Grossman will “continue to lay the ground work for the secretary’s eventual visit,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters. Secretary Clinton will “have an in-depth strategic discussion about our cooperation and to convey the US government’s views on the way forward with Pakistan,” Mr Toner said.

“She’ll go when she can have those discussions in the right context and with the right preparation. And we’re engaged right now with the Pakistanis to lay that ground work,” he said.

As part of this ground work, she spoke on Monday with President Zardari, Prime Minister Gilani and General Kayani, Mr Toner said.

As the two countries try to overcome the problems that have marred their ties, US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates outlined the new parameters of a partnership with Pakistan. “Relationships between nations are never based on trust,” he told an American television channel, CBS, when asked if the US trusted Pakistan.

“They are based on reality, on facts, on a hard sense of pragmatism in terms of protecting national interests. We do it. Everybody else does it,” he said. “This relationship is like many we have in the world” and like them “it should be managed”.

Mr Gates underlined the US concern when he told the interviewer: “It is hard for me to believe that somebody in Pakistan was not aware” of Osama bin Laden’s presence in Abbottabad.

“Somebody high ranking?” he was asked. “Beyond that I don’t know,” he replied.

He emphasised that both countries were benefitting from this partnership. The Pakistanis “are doing some things that are of concern” and they “are also doings things that are important to our success and to our national security”, he said.

A senior CIA official has been included in Mr Grossman’s team which indicates that the US may raise the issue of alleged “terrorist sanctuaries” in Pakistan.