US rules out strategic talks with Pakistan

US State Department has said they have contact with Pakistan but no possibility of strategic talks. The issue of US envoys’ movement in Pakistan would be settled properly and reciprocity is an option to deal with such matters. US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said US envoy Mark Grassman’s tri-partite dialogues and discussion with Pak and Afghan leadership proved positive. Pakistan and the US have agreed to work jointly on important issues, he said.
He repeated that there was no gap of communication between the two countries but as far strategic dialogues are concerned, there was no possibility.
The United States has earlier warned the Pakistani government that its diplomats in the US could be hit with travel restrictions similar to those recently imposed on American diplomats in Pakistan unless Pakistan lifts its restrictions.
The State Department said the US and Pakistan were working to end the spat, the latest irritant in already strained ties, and it was confident the dispute would be resolved quickly.
But US officials said Pakistan had been told the Obama administration would consider reciprocal steps to retaliate for the restrictions set down last month by Pakistan s foreign ministry if they are not rescinded.
State Department spokesman Mark Toner declined to comment on the warning but said "reciprocity is always a consideration" when dealing with such matters.
"We are working cooperatively with the government of Pakistan to resolve the issue," Toner told reporters. "We ve met with Pakistani officials on this matter both in Washington and in Islamabad, and we believe it can be resolved. The issue is the right of our diplomats to freely travel."