US wants relations with Pakistan on upward trajectory: Official

WASHINGTON: As Pakistan conducts a Parliamentary review of its bilateral ties with US, a State Department official said Washington wants to have its relationship with Pakistan always on an upward trajectory.

"We obviously always want our relationship with Pakistan to be on an upward trajectory," the State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland told reporters at her daily news conference yesterday.

US, she said, wants to improve its relationship with Pakistan.

However, Nuland refused to answer questions related to the announcement of appointment of a new ISI chief.

Pakistan-US relations have been buffeted by several crises since last year, including the gunning down of two Pakistani men by a CIA contractor in Lahore, the killing of Osama bin Laden by American commandos in Abbottabad and a cross-border NATO air strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November.

Gilani ordered a Parliamentary review of bilateral relations and new "terms of engagement" for the US will be unveiled after a joint session of the two houses of Parliament that is likely to be held later this month.